Monarch gets about 149 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 67 U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 79°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 95% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from October to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Monarch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Monarch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Monarch’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Monarch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 86 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Millegan 14 Se, MT, 22 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Monarch’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 149 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Millegan 14 Se, MT, falls mostly in January, February, March, April and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Monarch
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 Millegan 14 Se, MT.
Living with Monarch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
86 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Monarch from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Monarch and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Monarch yet.
Climates most like Monarch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch, MT | 14° | 79° | 21" | 149" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
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 Monarch averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.7°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Monarch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Monarch’s place among Montana’s.
Monarch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Monarch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Millegan 14 Se, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 14° | 0.9" | 23.2" | 7 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 15° | 0.9" | 24.4" | 8 | 8° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 1.2" | 22.6" | 8 | 19° – 39° |
| April | 50° | 28° | 2.2" | 22.2" | 11 | 33° – 44° |
| May | 60° | 36° | 3.4" | 3.4" | 12 | 43° – 53° |
| June | 68° | 43° | 3.9" | 1.4" | 12 | 51° – 62° |
| July | 79° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 47° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 40° | 1.8" | 0.9" | 6 | 49° – 59° |
| October | 54° | 30° | 1.8" | 7.2" | 8 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 1.0" | 20.3" | 7 | 23° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 15° | 1.0" | 23.7" | 7 | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 21.4" | 149.3" | 101 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 35°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Monarch’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 Monarch’s center.
- Snow: Millegan 14 Se, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Millegan 14 Se, MT, 22 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Monarch’s climate
What is the weather like in Monarch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 149 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Monarch in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 215 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 14°.
How much snow does Monarch get?
About 149 inches in a normal winter at Millegan 14 Se, MT, most of it in January, February, March, April and December.
How hot does it get in Monarch?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 48°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Millegan 14 Se, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Monarch?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 6, about 86 frost-free days, at Millegan 14 Se, MT.
What growing zone is Monarch 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 Monarch?
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 Monarch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Monarch.
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.