Slayton Mercantile Co. · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Lavina than on 93% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. Its January nights bite harder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Lavina at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lavina’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lavina’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Lavina feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 114 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Roundup 15 Sw, MT, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lavina’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Roundup 15 Sw, MT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lavina
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Roundup 15 Sw, MT.
Living with Lavina’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
114 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lavina from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lavina and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lavina yet.
Climates most like Lavina’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavina, MT | 13° | 87° | 14" | 43" |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 14° | 87° | 15" | 39" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Box Elder, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lavina averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 69% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Lavina compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lavina’s place among Montana’s.
Lavina weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lavina’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Roundup 15 Sw, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.4" | 8.5" | 5 | 17 | 15° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 15° | 0.4" | 10.0" | 6 | 12 | 6° – 39° |
| March | 50° | 23° | 0.7" | 5.9" | 6 | 7 | 23° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 30° | 1.6" | 3.7" | 9 | 2 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 77° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 54° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| September | 75° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 32° | 1.1" | 3.6" | 7 | 2 | 37° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 22° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 5 | 6 | 25° – 43° |
| December | 37° | 14° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 5 | 12 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 14.4" | 43.0" | 84 | 57 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 39°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lavina’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Lavina’s center.
- Snow: Roundup 15 Sw, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Roundup 15 Sw, MT, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Lavina’s climate
What is the weather like in Lavina?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lavina in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Lavina get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Roundup 15 Sw, MT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 57 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lavina?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 54°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Roundup 15 Sw, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Lavina?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 114 frost-free days, at Roundup 15 Sw, MT.
What growing zone is Lavina in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lavina?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lavina getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lavina.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.