Summers in Little Bitterroot Lake are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 17°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.3° above 1901–2000. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Little Bitterroot Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Little Bitterroot Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Little Bitterroot Lake’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Little Bitterroot Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 100 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 10. Frost dates and degree days from Kalispell Glacier Airport, 24 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Little Bitterroot Lake’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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kalispell Glacier Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Little Bitterroot Lake
98% 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 Kalispell Glacier Airport.
Living with Little Bitterroot Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
100 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 31 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: June, July and August. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Little Bitterroot Lake from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (88%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Little Bitterroot Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Little Bitterroot Lake yet.
Climates most like Little Bitterroot Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Bitterroot Lake, MT | 17° | 80° | 22" | 54" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Sheboygan Falls, WI | 13° | 80° | 32" | 45" |
| Bay City, MI | 16° | 82° | 32" | 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 Little Bitterroot Lake averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.6°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Little Bitterroot Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Little Bitterroot Lake’s place among Montana’s.
Little Bitterroot Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Little Bitterroot Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kalispell Glacier Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | 2.1" | 13.9" | 14 | 25 | 16° – 32° |
| February | 36° | 17° | 1.8" | 8.4" | 11 | 17 | 14° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 23° | 1.7" | 5.4" | 12 | 9 | 27° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.6" | 1.2" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| May | 63° | 36° | 2.1" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| June | 69° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| July | 80° | 45° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| September | 68° | 38° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| October | 52° | 30° | 2.0" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| November | 38° | 23° | 2.4" | 8.0" | 12 | 5 | 24° – 38° |
| December | 31° | 17° | 2.4" | 15.9" | 14 | 17 | 17° – 30° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 22.1" | 54.4" | 132 | 75 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Little Bitterroot Lake’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 Little Bitterroot Lake’s center.
- Snow: Kalispell Glacier Airport.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Kalispell Glacier Airport, 24 miles away.
- 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 Little Bitterroot Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Little Bitterroot Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Little Bitterroot Lake in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Little Bitterroot Lake get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Kalispell Glacier Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 75 days a year.
How hot does it get in Little Bitterroot Lake?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 45°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Kalispell Glacier Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Little Bitterroot Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 100 frost-free days, at Kalispell Glacier Airport.
What growing zone is Little Bitterroot Lake 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 Little Bitterroot Lake?
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 Little Bitterroot Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Little Bitterroot Lake.
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.