Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Rader Creek: 13 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 80°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about June 10, with the first autumn frost due around September 7.
A year in Rader Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rader Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rader Creek’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Rader Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 85 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 10 and the first by September 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Divide, MT, 22 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rader Creek’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Divide, MT, falls mostly in December. 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 59 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rader Creek
99% 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 Divide, MT.
Living with Rader Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
85 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 10 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 8.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rader Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rader Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rader Creek yet.
Climates most like Rader Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rader Creek, MT | 16° | 80° | 13" | 15" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
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 Rader Creek averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Rader Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rader Creek’s place among Montana’s.
Rader Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rader Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Divide, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 16° | 0.4" | 2.4" | 3 | 17° – 30° |
| February | 36° | 16° | 0.4" | 2.0" | 3 | 16° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 24° | 0.6" | 2.6" | 4 | 27° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 1.2" | 0.8" | 5 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 61° | 37° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 44° – 54° |
| June | 70° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 51° – 64° |
| July | 80° | 50° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 55° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 67° |
| September | 69° | 41° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 4 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 55° | 31° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 4 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 0.6" | 1.7" | 4 | 24° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 15° | 0.5" | 4.6" | 3 | 17° – 30° |
| Year | 54° | 31° | 12.7" | 15.2" | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rader Creek’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 Rader Creek’s center.
- Snow: Divide, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Divide, MT, 22 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Rader Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Rader Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rader Creek in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 223 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Rader Creek get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Divide, MT, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Rader Creek?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 50°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Divide, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Rader Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 10 and the first fall frost by September 7, about 85 frost-free days, at Divide, MT.
What growing zone is Rader Creek in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rader Creek?
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 Rader Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rader Creek.
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.