Photo: Montanasuffragettes · CC BY-SA 4.0Dry weather: only 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Ravalli, less than in 89% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 84°. June is the wettest month here, with about 2.8 times the rain of August. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 64% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 66–84°.
A year in Ravalli at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ravalli’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ravalli’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Ravalli feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Ignatius, MT, 4 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ravalli’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alberton, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ravalli
95% 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 Saint Ignatius, MT.
Living with Ravalli’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ravalli from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ravalli and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ravalli yet.
Climates most like Ravalli’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravalli, MT | 21° | 84° | 20" | 49" |
| Airway Heights, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Castle Rock, CO | 18° | 85° | 18" | 58" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Ravalli averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Ravalli compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ravalli’s place among Montana’s.
Ravalli weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ravalli’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alberton, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 21° | 1.4" | 10.3" | 14 | 25 | 17° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 22° | 1.3" | 11.1" | 13 | 18 | 19° – 37° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 1.6" | 6.0" | 14 | 8 | 30° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 33° | 2.0" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 47° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 52° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 51° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 34° | 1.9" | 1.2" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 27° | 1.7" | 6.4" | 13 | 6 | 27° – 41° |
| December | 32° | 21° | 1.5" | 12.8" | 14 | 20 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 20.2" | 49.4" | 137 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ravalli’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 Ravalli’s center.
- Snow: Alberton, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Ignatius, MT, 4 miles from the town’s center, 380 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 Ravalli’s climate
What is the weather like in Ravalli?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ravalli in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Ravalli get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Alberton, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ravalli?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 52°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Saint Ignatius, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Ravalli?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 142 frost-free days, at Saint Ignatius, MT.
What growing zone is Ravalli in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ravalli?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ravalli getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ravalli.
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.