Precipitation in Riverbend trails that of 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 20°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in July. For walks and days out, June and September bring highs of 74–75°.
A year in Riverbend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Riverbend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Riverbend’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Riverbend 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 17 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Superior, MT, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Riverbend’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and July 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 Riverbend
94% 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 Superior, MT.
Living with Riverbend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 6.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Riverbend from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Riverbend and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Riverbend yet.
Climates most like Riverbend’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverbend, MT | 20° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
| Golden, CO | 19° | 86° | 18" | 58" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 22° | 86° | 14" | 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 Riverbend averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Riverbend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Riverbend’s place among Montana’s.
Riverbend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Riverbend’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° | 20° | 1.4" | 10.3" | 14 | 25 | 19° – 33° |
| February | 39° | 21° | 1.5" | 11.1" | 13 | 18 | 21° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 27° | 1.6" | 6.0" | 14 | 8 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 1.6" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 39° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 75° |
| August | 85° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 74° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 32° | 1.6" | 1.2" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 26° | 2.0" | 6.4" | 13 | 6 | 28° – 39° |
| December | 33° | 20° | 1.8" | 12.8" | 14 | 20 | 22° – 31° |
| Year | 58° | 33° | 18.7" | 49.4" | 137 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 75°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Riverbend’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 Riverbend’s center.
- Snow: Alberton, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Superior, MT, 3 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 Riverbend’s climate
What is the weather like in Riverbend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Riverbend in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 161 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Riverbend 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 Riverbend?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 50°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Superior, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Riverbend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 125 frost-free days, at Superior, MT.
What growing zone is Riverbend in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Riverbend?
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 Riverbend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Riverbend.
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.