Less rain and snow falls on Pinesdale than on 92% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 84°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 64% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Pinesdale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pinesdale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pinesdale’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Pinesdale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hamilton, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pinesdale’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stevensville, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pinesdale
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 Hamilton, MT.
Living with Pinesdale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 21 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pinesdale from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pinesdale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pinesdale yet.
Climates most like Pinesdale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinesdale, MT | 20° | 84° | 17" | 17" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Las Vegas, NM | 18° | 86° | 16" | 22" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
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 Pinesdale averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Pinesdale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pinesdale’s place among Montana’s.
Pinesdale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pinesdale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stevensville, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 20° | 1.4" | 4.0" | 9 | 8 | 17° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 21° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 8 | 7 | 21° – 37° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 1.3" | 1.5" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 73° | 44° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| July | 84° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 73° |
| August | 82° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 72° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| October | 56° | 33° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 41° | 26° | 1.7" | 1.6" | 9 | 2 | 26° – 39° |
| December | 33° | 20° | 1.8" | 6.8" | 9 | 5 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 57° | 33° | 16.8" | 17.1" | 100 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Pinesdale’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 Pinesdale’s center.
- Snow: Stevensville, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hamilton, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 Pinesdale’s climate
What is the weather like in Pinesdale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pinesdale in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Pinesdale get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Stevensville, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pinesdale?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 49°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Hamilton, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Pinesdale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 122 frost-free days, at Hamilton, MT.
What growing zone is Pinesdale in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pinesdale?
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 Pinesdale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pinesdale.
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.