Precipitation in Moore trails that of 91% of U.S. towns: 18 inches a year
January mornings start at about 13°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Garden planting can start around May 23; autumn frost returns near September 21.
A year in Moore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Moore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Moore’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Moore feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lewistown Muni Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Moore’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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, falls mostly in January and April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Moore
97% 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 Lewistown Muni Airport.
Living with Moore’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Moore from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Moore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Moore yet.
Climates most like Moore’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moore, MT | 13° | 82° | 18" | 45" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Sturgis, SD | 14° | 85° | 22" | 48" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Moore averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°).
A smaller 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 Moore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Moore’s place among Montana’s.
Moore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Moore’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Moccasin Exp Stn, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 13° | 0.6" | 8.1" | 6 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 5.9" | 6 | 7° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 21° | 0.8" | 6.7" | 7 | 20° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 28° | 1.8" | 7.5" | 10 | 35° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 37° | 3.1" | 1.7" | 13 | 46° – 55° |
| June | 72° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 54° – 64° |
| July | 82° | 50° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 57° – 73° |
| August | 82° | 49° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 41° | 1.6" | 0.2" | 7 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 30° | 1.4" | 3.1" | 8 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 45° | 21° | 0.7" | 5.5" | 6 | 24° – 42° |
| December | 37° | 14° | 0.6" | 5.8" | 6 | 14° – 32° |
| Year | 57° | 30° | 17.9" | 44.5" | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 36°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Moore’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 Moore’s center.
- Snow: Moccasin Exp Stn, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lewistown Muni Airport, 12 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 Moore’s climate
What is the weather like in Moore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Moore in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Moore get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, most of it in January and April.
How hot does it get in Moore?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 50°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Lewistown Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Moore?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 119 frost-free days, at Lewistown Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Moore 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 Moore?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Moore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Moore.
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.