Less rain and snow falls on Melstone than on 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 92% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 10, with the first autumn frost due around September 29.
A year in Melstone at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Melstone’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Melstone’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Melstone feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Melstone, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Melstone’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 Melstone, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Melstone
92% 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 Melstone, MT.
Living with Melstone’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Melstone from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Melstone and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Melstone yet.
Climates most like Melstone’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melstone, MT | 12° | 87° | 15" | 43" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Belle Fourche, SD | 13° | 88° | 19" | 42" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
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 Melstone averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Melstone compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Melstone’s place among Montana’s.
Melstone weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Melstone’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Melstone, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 12° | 0.5" | 8.7" | 5 | 14 | 11° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.5" | 6.5" | 5 | 10 | 4° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 23° | 0.8" | 6.9" | 6 | 5 | 20° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 1.7" | 3.6" | 9 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.8" | 1.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 78° | 50° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 80° |
| August | 87° | 54° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 33° | 1.3" | 2.5" | 6 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 22° | 0.6" | 5.6" | 5 | 5 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 4 | 10 | 12° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 33° | 15.0" | 42.9" | 78 | 46 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 39°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Melstone’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 Melstone’s center.
- Snow: Melstone, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Melstone, MT, 0.2 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 Melstone’s climate
What is the weather like in Melstone?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Melstone in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Melstone get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Melstone, MT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 46 days a year.
How hot does it get in Melstone?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Melstone, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Melstone?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 141 frost-free days, at Melstone, MT.
What growing zone is Melstone 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 Melstone?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Melstone getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Melstone.
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.