Outlook sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 93% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to September, with highs of 70–81°.
A year in Outlook at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Outlook’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Outlook’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Outlook feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 101 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Redstone, MT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Outlook’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Raymond Border Stn, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Outlook
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 Redstone, MT.
Living with Outlook’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
101 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 28 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 59% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Outlook from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Outlook and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Outlook yet.
Climates most like Outlook’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlook, MT | 1° | 81° | 15" | 31" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 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 Outlook averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Outlook compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Outlook’s place among Montana’s.
Outlook weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Outlook’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Raymond Border Stn, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 1° | 0.5" | 7.7" | 4 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 4.6" | 4 | −8° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 16° | 0.7" | 4.2" | 4 | 11° – 38° |
| April | 54° | 28° | 1.1" | 2.0" | 6 | 32° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 81° | 53° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 60° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 51° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 49° – 61° |
| October | 54° | 29° | 0.9" | 1.5" | 5 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 36° | 16° | 0.6" | 2.7" | 3 | 13° – 36° |
| December | 24° | 5° | 0.6" | 8.5" | 3 | 2° – 25° |
| Year | 52° | 28° | 15.4" | 31.3" | 66 |
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 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Outlook’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 Outlook’s center.
- Snow: Raymond Border Stn, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Redstone, MT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower; 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 Outlook’s climate
What is the weather like in Outlook?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 56 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Outlook in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 209 nights a year reach 32° or below and 50 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Outlook get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Raymond Border Stn, MT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Outlook?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 53°. About 23 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Redstone, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Outlook?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 7, about 101 frost-free days, at Redstone, MT.
What growing zone is Outlook in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Outlook?
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 Outlook getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Outlook.
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.