Pondera Colony sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 13 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 11°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 9.0 times as much as December. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 94% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to May, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Pondera Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pondera Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pondera Colony’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Pondera Colony feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valier, MT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pondera Colony’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Conrad, MT, falls mostly in February and November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pondera Colony
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Valier, MT.
Living with Pondera Colony’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 50% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pondera Colony from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pondera Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pondera Colony yet.
Climates most like Pondera Colony’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pondera Colony, MT | 11° | 79° | 13" | 47" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
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 Pondera Colony averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.3°).
A bigger 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 Pondera Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pondera Colony’s place among Montana’s.
Pondera Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pondera Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Conrad, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 11° | 0.3" | 6.7" | 5 | 19 | 10° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 12° | 0.4" | 8.0" | 5 | 12 | 2° – 36° |
| March | 44° | 20° | 0.6" | 6.8" | 5 | 8 | 15° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.2" | 5.5" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 37° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 70° | 44° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| July | 79° | 49° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 69° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.7" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 55° | 30° | 0.9" | 4.0" | 5 | 2 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 20° | 0.5" | 7.5" | 5 | 10 | 20° – 40° |
| December | 34° | 13° | 0.3" | 6.2" | 5 | 18 | 12° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 29° | 12.7" | 46.8" | 74 | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Pondera Colony’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 Pondera Colony’s center.
- Snow: Conrad, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valier, MT, 9 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Pondera Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Pondera Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pondera Colony in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 171 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 10°.
How much snow does Pondera Colony get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Conrad, MT, most of it in February and November, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pondera Colony?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 49°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Valier, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Pondera Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 129 frost-free days, at Valier, MT.
What growing zone is Pondera Colony in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pondera Colony?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pondera Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pondera Colony.
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.