Dry weather: only 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Ponderosa Pines, less than in 94% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 86% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Ponderosa Pines at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ponderosa Pines’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ponderosa Pines’ place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Ponderosa Pines feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 27. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Logan Landfill, MT, 11 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Trident, MT, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ponderosa Pines’ 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 24 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Townsend 3se, MT, falls mostly in January, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ponderosa Pines
96% 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 Trident, MT.
Living with Ponderosa Pines’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ponderosa Pines from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ponderosa Pines and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ponderosa Pines yet.
Climates most like Ponderosa Pines’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Pines, MT | 15° | 83° | 13" | 24" |
| Raton, NM | 15° | 85° | 16" | 25" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
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 Ponderosa Pines averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Ponderosa Pines compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ponderosa Pines’ place among Montana’s.
Ponderosa Pines weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ponderosa Pines’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Townsend 3se, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 15° | 0.5" | 4.4" | 5 | 15 | 13° – 33° |
| February | 37° | 17° | 0.5" | 3.2" | 5 | 8 | 11° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 24° | 0.8" | 4.0" | 5 | 4 | 20° – 41° |
| April | 55° | 31° | 1.4" | 2.3" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| June | 73° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| September | 71° | 42° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| October | 57° | 32° | 1.0" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 42° | 22° | 0.7" | 3.9" | 5 | 6 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 15° | 0.5" | 4.4" | 5 | 13 | 16° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 32° | 13.4" | 23.7" | 83 | 45 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 37°. May is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ponderosa Pines’ 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 Ponderosa Pines’ center.
- Snow: Townsend 3se, MT.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Trident, MT, 8 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Logan Landfill, MT, 11 miles from the town’s center, 330 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 Ponderosa Pines’ climate
What is the weather like in Ponderosa Pines?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ponderosa Pines in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 200 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Ponderosa Pines get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter at Townsend 3se, MT, most of it in January, March and December, with snow on the ground about 45 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ponderosa Pines?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 51°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Trident, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Ponderosa Pines?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 139 frost-free days, at Trident, MT.
What growing zone is Ponderosa Pines 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 Ponderosa Pines?
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 Ponderosa Pines getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ponderosa Pines.
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.