Photo: USDA NRCS Montana · Public domainDry weather: only 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Rapelje, less than in 93% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 13°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 89% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.7°, most of all in January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 24 to September 21.
A year in Rapelje at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rapelje’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rapelje’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Rapelje feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rapelje, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rapelje’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rapelje, MT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rapelje
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 Rapelje, MT.
Living with Rapelje’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
116 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 24 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rapelje from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rapelje and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rapelje yet.
Climates most like Rapelje’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapelje, MT | 13° | 85° | 15" | 54" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Rigby, ID | 12° | 85° | 12" | 66" |
| Rapid Valley, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
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 Rapelje averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Rapelje compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rapelje’s place among Montana’s.
Rapelje weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rapelje’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rapelje, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.4" | 7.8" | 4 | 10 | 14° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 15° | 0.5" | 9.8" | 5 | 8 | 6° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 22° | 0.8" | 8.8" | 6 | 4 | 23° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 29° | 1.8" | 6.6" | 8 | 2 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 2.7" | 1.1" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 75° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 85° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 75° |
| August | 85° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 1.3" | 5.6" | 6 | 2 | 35° – 51° |
| November | 46° | 21° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 43° |
| December | 37° | 14° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 5 | 8 | 16° – 35° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 15.1" | 54.3" | 75 | 39 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Rapelje’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 Rapelje’s center.
- Snow: Rapelje, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rapelje, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Rapelje’s climate
What is the weather like in Rapelje?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rapelje in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Rapelje get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Rapelje, MT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rapelje?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 52°. About 32 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Rapelje, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Rapelje?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 116 frost-free days, at Rapelje, MT.
What growing zone is Rapelje in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rapelje?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rapelje getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rapelje.
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.