Photo: Montanabw · CC BY-SA 4.0Less rain and snow falls on Lincoln than on 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 12°. In January, nights here are colder than in 92% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.6°, most of all in January. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to August brings highs of 71–82°.
A year in Lincoln at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lincoln’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lincoln’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Lincoln feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 214 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 21 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lincoln Rs, MT, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lincoln’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 16 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lincoln
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Lincoln Rs, MT.
Living with Lincoln’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 65 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 3.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lincoln from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lincoln and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lincoln yet.
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 Lincoln averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Lincoln compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lincoln’s place among Montana’s.
Lincoln weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lincoln’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 12° | 1.2" | 13° – 28° |
| February | 36° | 12° | 1.1" | 10° – 32° |
| March | 45° | 21° | 1.0" | 24° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 26° | 1.3" | 35° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 34° | 2.0" | 44° – 53° |
| June | 71° | 40° | 2.4" | 51° – 63° |
| July | 82° | 45° | 1.0" | 55° – 70° |
| August | 80° | 42° | 1.0" | 55° – 65° |
| September | 70° | 35° | 1.2" | 48° – 57° |
| October | 55° | 27° | 1.3" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 40° | 19° | 1.3" | 23° – 38° |
| December | 32° | 12° | 1.4" | 13° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 27° | 16.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 32°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lincoln’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 Lincoln’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lincoln Rs, MT, 0.8 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 Lincoln’s climate
What is the weather like in Lincoln?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 12°. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lincoln in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 214 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 13°.
How hot does it get in Lincoln?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 45°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Lincoln Rs, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Lincoln?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Lincoln Rs, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 214 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 65 days.
What growing zone is Lincoln in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lincoln?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lincoln getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lincoln.
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.