Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Richey
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 85°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Garden planting can start around May 16; autumn frost returns near September 22.
A year in Richey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Richey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Richey’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Richey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vida 6 Ne, MT, 21 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Richey’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Richey
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 Vida 6 Ne, MT.
Living with Richey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 58% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Richey from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Richey and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Richey yet.
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 Richey averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Richey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Richey’s place among Montana’s.
Richey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Richey’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 4° | 0.4" | 2° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 8° | 0.3" | −4° – 31° |
| March | 43° | 18° | 0.5" | 15° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 29° | 1.3" | 36° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.6" | 49° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.8" | 58° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 2.2" | 61° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 1.4" | 63° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.3" | 52° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 30° | 1.1" | 35° – 49° |
| November | 40° | 18° | 0.4" | 16° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 8° | 0.3" | 4° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 14.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Richey’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 Richey’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vida 6 Ne, MT, 21 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Richey’s climate
What is the weather like in Richey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 4°. Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Richey in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How hot does it get in Richey?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Vida 6 Ne, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Richey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 129 frost-free days, at Vida 6 Ne, MT.
What growing zone is Richey in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Richey?
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 Richey getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Richey.
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.