Miners Union Hall · Photo: Geologyguy · Public domainDry weather: only 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Philipsburg, less than in 94% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 13°. Only 68° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 93% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, July and August bring highs of 79–80°.
A year in Philipsburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Philipsburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Philipsburg’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Philipsburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 215 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 15 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Phillipsburg Rs, MT, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Philipsburg’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Anaconda, MT, falls mostly in January, February, March, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Philipsburg
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Phillipsburg Rs, MT.
Living with Philipsburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 65 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Philipsburg from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Philipsburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Philipsburg yet.
Climates most like Philipsburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philipsburg, MT | 13° | 80° | 14" | 75" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Estes Park, CO | 11° | 79° | 19" | 118" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Philipsburg averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Philipsburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Philipsburg’s place among Montana’s.
Philipsburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Philipsburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Anaconda, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 13° | 0.6" | 11.4" | 9 | 24 | 15° – 28° |
| February | 35° | 13° | 0.6" | 11.3" | 9 | 18 | 16° – 32° |
| March | 45° | 20° | 0.9" | 11.8" | 11 | 13 | 27° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 25° | 1.4" | 9.9" | 12 | 4 | 34° – 44° |
| May | 61° | 32° | 2.2" | 2.0" | 14 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| June | 69° | 39° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| July | 80° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 68° |
| August | 79° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| September | 69° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| October | 54° | 27° | 1.1" | 3.3" | 10 | 2 | 32° – 47° |
| November | 40° | 18° | 0.8" | 12.1" | 11 | 13 | 22° – 37° |
| December | 31° | 12° | 0.7" | 12.1" | 10 | 24 | 15° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 26° | 14.3" | 75.1" | 125 | 98 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 68°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Philipsburg’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 Philipsburg’s center.
- Snow: Anaconda, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Phillipsburg Rs, MT, 1.2 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 Philipsburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Philipsburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Philipsburg in winter?
December nights average 12°. About 215 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Philipsburg get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Anaconda, MT, most of it in January, February, March, November and December, with snow on the ground about 98 days a year.
How hot does it get in Philipsburg?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 43°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Phillipsburg Rs, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Philipsburg?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Phillipsburg Rs, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 215 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 65 days.
What growing zone is Philipsburg in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Philipsburg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Philipsburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Philipsburg.
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.