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Climate in Power · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Dry weather: only 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Power, less than in 95% of U.S. towns

Nights in January average 13°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by September 27.

Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns#14 coldest of 44 in MT
More snow than 82% of U.S. towns#15Snowiest  of 40 in MT
All MT rankings →

A year in Power at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan35°13° 6" snow
Feb37°14° 5" snow
Mar46°21° 8" snow
Apr55°29° 9" snow
May64°38° Last frost ~May 133" snow
Jun72°45° Wettest
Jul83°51° 4 days 90°+
Aug82°49° 3 days 90°+
Sep71°41° First frost ~Sep 271 day 90°+
Oct57°31° 4" snow
Nov now43°22° 6" snow
Dec35°15° 5" snow

What stands out about Power’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Power’s place in Montana beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Power feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
36° / 14°
14 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
55° / 29°
Last frost around May 13
Summer
79° / 48°
8 days reach 90°
Fall
57° / 32°
First frost around Sep 27
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 135 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fairfield, MT, 15 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.

160
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
39th most of 44 in Montana
More freezing nights than 91% of U.S. towns
17
nights at or below 0°
21st most of 44 in Montana
More nights at or below 0° than 92% of U.S. towns
8
days that reach 90°
6th fewest of 44 in Montana
Fewer 90° days than 81% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Power’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°

27
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

4.2
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 49 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Power 6 Se, MT, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.

13"
Rain + melted snow a year
11th driest of 44 in Montana
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns
49"
Snow in a normal winter
15th snowiest of 40 in Montana
More snow than 82% of U.S. towns
88 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
8th most of 36 in Montana
More days with snow on the ground than 93% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

2.7"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

9"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Power

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.

7,742 heating degree daysMore heating than 95% of U.S. towns
256 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Fairfield, MT.

Living here

Living with Power’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

135 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 13 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.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Power from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Power and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Power yet.

Climates most like Power’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Power, MT13°83°13"49"
Cody, WY14°85°11"45"
Rexburg, ID12°84°13"70"
Taos, NM11°84°13"28"
Gleneagle, CO14°84°21"55"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Power averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.0°).

+1.3°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 51% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.9°now 25°, was 22°
Spring+1.2°now 42°, was 41°
Summer+0.7°now 64°, was 63°
Fall+0.6°now 44°, was 44°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Power compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Power’s place among Montana’s.

Summer heat83° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns13th coolest of 44 in Montana
Winter cold13° January low
Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns14th coldest of 44 in Montana
Precipitation13" a year
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns11th driest of 44 in Montana
Snow49" a winter
More snow than 82% of U.S. towns15th snowiest of 40 in Montana
Hot days8 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 81% of U.S. towns6th fewest of 44 in Montana
Freezing nights160 a year
More freezing nights than 91% of U.S. towns39th most of 44 in Montana
Growing season135 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 97% of U.S. towns27th shortest of 42 in Montana
Month by month

Power weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Power’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Power 6 Se, MT. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January35°13°0.4"6.1"72112° – 36°
February37°14°0.5"5.2"717−1° – 38°
March46°21°0.6"7.9"81216° – 43°
April55°29°1.4"9.4"10636° – 46°
May64°38°2.1"3.1"11246° – 56°
June72°45°2.7"1.2"11056° – 65°
July83°51°1.1"0.0"7057° – 74°
August82°49°1.1"0.4"7059° – 69°
September71°41°1.2"0.6"7052° – 62°
October57°31°0.9"4.0"7335° – 51°
November43°22°0.5"6.0"61022° – 42°
December35°15°0.4"5.1"71714° – 35°
Year57°31°12.8"49.0"9388
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Power’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 Power’s center.
  • Snow: Power 6 Se, MT.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fairfield, MT, 15 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher; 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 Power’s climate

What is the weather like in Power?

A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Power in winter?

January nights average 13°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.

How much snow does Power get?

About 49 inches in a normal winter at Power 6 Se, MT, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 88 days a year.

How hot does it get in Power?

July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 51°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Fairfield, MT).

When is the first and last frost in Power?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 135 frost-free days, at Fairfield, MT.

What growing zone is Power 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 Power?

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 Power getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Power.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.