Pray’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Pray at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pray’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pray’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Pray feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Livingston 12 S, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pray’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 63 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Livingston 12 S, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pray
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 Livingston 12 S, MT.
Living with Pray’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pray from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pray and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pray yet.
Climates most like Pray’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pray, MT | 15° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
| Cheyenne, WY | 16° | 85° | 15" | 65" |
| The Pinery, CO | 17° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
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 Pray averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Pray compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pray’s place among Montana’s.
Pray weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pray’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Livingston 12 S, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 15° | 0.4" | 9.6" | 7 | 19 | 19° – 31° |
| February | 39° | 16° | 0.5" | 9.6" | 7 | 15 | 18° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 24° | 0.7" | 9.2" | 8 | 7 | 29° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.5" | 8.0" | 9 | 2 | 37° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 37° | 2.3" | 2.4" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 74° | 45° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| July | 85° | 50° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 74° |
| August | 84° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 73° | 40° | 1.2" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 1.4" | 3.5" | 7 | 2 | 36° – 51° |
| November | 44° | 23° | 0.7" | 7.9" | 6 | 8 | 25° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 15° | 0.5" | 12.1" | 6 | 19 | 18° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 31° | 13.7" | 62.7" | 95 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Pray’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 Pray’s center.
- Snow: Livingston 12 S, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Livingston 12 S, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Pray’s climate
What is the weather like in Pray?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 63 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pray in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 158 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Pray get?
About 63 inches in a normal winter at Livingston 12 S, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pray?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 50°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Livingston 12 S, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Pray?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 125 frost-free days, at Livingston 12 S, MT.
What growing zone is Pray in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pray?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pray getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pray.
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.