Photo: Mark Hufstetler · CC BY-SA 3.0Lima is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. Seasons differ by 73°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights bite harder than in 96% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 79–81°, belongs to July and August.
A year in Lima at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lima’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lima’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Lima feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 89 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lima, MT, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lima’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lima, MT, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 67 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lima
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lima, MT.
Living with Lima’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
89 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 11 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lima from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lima and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lima yet.
Climates most like Lima’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima, MT | 8° | 81° | 11" | 53" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 Lima averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Lima compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lima’s place among Montana’s.
Lima weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lima’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lima, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 8° | 0.3" | 6.0" | 4 | 11° – 24° |
| February | 32° | 10° | 0.3" | 5.1" | 4 | 13° – 28° |
| March | 41° | 19° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 5 | 24° – 37° |
| April | 50° | 25° | 1.1" | 10.1" | 7 | 32° – 43° |
| May | 60° | 33° | 1.7" | 4.7" | 9 | 40° – 52° |
| June | 70° | 40° | 2.0" | 1.1" | 9 | 49° – 61° |
| July | 81° | 46° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 53° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 55° – 66° |
| September | 69° | 37° | 0.9" | 0.6" | 5 | 49° – 57° |
| October | 54° | 27° | 1.0" | 6.7" | 5 | 32° – 47° |
| November | 39° | 17° | 0.4" | 5.8" | 3 | 17° – 36° |
| December | 28° | 8° | 0.4" | 5.7" | 4 | 12° – 23° |
| Year | 53° | 26° | 10.5" | 52.6" | 67 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lima’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 Lima’s center.
- Snow: Lima, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lima, MT, 0.4 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 Lima’s climate
What is the weather like in Lima?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lima in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 226 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Lima get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Lima, MT, most of it in April.
How hot does it get in Lima?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 46°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Lima, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Lima?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 89 frost-free days, at Lima, MT.
What growing zone is Lima in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lima?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lima getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lima.
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.