Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Miles City sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
High summer brings afternoon highs near 90°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 82°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 95% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 8 to September 30.
A year in Miles City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Miles City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Miles City’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Miles City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Miles City F Wiley Fld, MT, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Miles City’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 13 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and December the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Miles City
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Miles City F Wiley Fld, MT.
Living with Miles City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 47% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Miles City from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Miles City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Miles City 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 Miles City averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Miles City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Miles City’s place among Montana’s.
Miles City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Miles City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 8° | 0.3" | 7° – 34° |
| February | 36° | 12° | 0.3" | 3° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 22° | 0.5" | 20° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 32° | 1.5" | 40° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 42° | 2.6" | 51° – 61° |
| June | 80° | 52° | 2.4" | 59° – 71° |
| July | 90° | 58° | 1.5" | 63° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 55° | 0.9" | 66° – 78° |
| September | 77° | 45° | 1.2" | 54° – 68° |
| October | 60° | 32° | 1.0" | 39° – 52° |
| November | 45° | 20° | 0.4" | 19° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 11° | 0.3" | 10° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 33° | 12.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 38°. April is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Miles City’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 Miles City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Miles City F Wiley Fld, MT, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher; 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 Miles City’s climate
What is the weather like in Miles City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 8°. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Miles City in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How hot does it get in Miles City?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 58°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Miles City F Wiley Fld, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Miles City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 144 frost-free days, at Miles City F Wiley Fld, MT.
What growing zone is Miles City in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Miles City?
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 Miles City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Miles City.
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.