Photo: Montanabw · CC BY-SA 3.0Polson’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Polson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Polson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Polson’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Polson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 134 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Skq Dam, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Polson’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Skq Dam, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Polson
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 Skq Dam, MT.
Living with Polson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
134 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 15 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Polson from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Polson and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Polson in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Polson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Airway Heights, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Polson averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Polson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Polson’s place among Montana’s.
Polson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Polson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Skq Dam, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 20° | 1.4" | 8.4" | 13 | 18° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 1.1" | 4.2" | 10 | 17° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 1.3" | 5.0" | 12 | 29° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 1.8" | 0.9" | 12 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 65° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 52° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 58° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 1.8" | 0.7" | 11 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 1.6" | 4.7" | 13 | 27° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 21° | 1.5" | 9.7" | 13 | 20° – 33° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 18.9" | 33.6" | 128 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Polson’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 Polson’s center.
- Snow: Skq Dam, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Skq Dam, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Polson’s climate
What is the weather like in Polson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Polson in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Polson get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Skq Dam, MT, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Polson?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 52°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Skq Dam, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Polson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 134 frost-free days, at Skq Dam, MT.
What growing zone is Polson in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Polson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Polson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Polson.
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.