Judith River Ranger Station · Photo: USFS · Public domainJuly in Sapphire Ridge stays fresher than in 94% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 12°. The wettest month is June; the driest is January. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 91% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from June to August, with highs of 69–79°.
A year in Sapphire Ridge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sapphire Ridge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sapphire Ridge’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Sapphire Ridge feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 77 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 15 and the first by September 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lewistown 42 Wsw, MT, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sapphire Ridge’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, falls mostly in January and April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sapphire Ridge
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lewistown 42 Wsw, MT.
Living with Sapphire Ridge’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
77 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 15 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sapphire Ridge from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 39%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sapphire Ridge and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sapphire Ridge yet.
Climates most like Sapphire Ridge’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapphire Ridge, MT | 12° | 79° | 18" | 45" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 Sapphire Ridge averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.0°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Sapphire Ridge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sapphire Ridge’s place among Montana’s.
Sapphire Ridge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sapphire Ridge’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Moccasin Exp Stn, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 12° | 0.6" | 8.1" | 6 | 14° – 31° |
| February | 37° | 13° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 6 | 10° – 35° |
| March | 44° | 19° | 1.0" | 6.7" | 7 | 21° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 25° | 1.9" | 7.5" | 10 | 32° – 43° |
| May | 61° | 34° | 3.1" | 1.7" | 13 | 43° – 53° |
| June | 69° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 60° |
| July | 79° | 46° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 53° – 70° |
| August | 79° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 55° – 66° |
| September | 69° | 37° | 1.5" | 0.2" | 7 | 48° – 59° |
| October | 55° | 28° | 1.3" | 3.1" | 8 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 43° | 20° | 0.7" | 5.5" | 6 | 24° – 41° |
| December | 36° | 13° | 0.6" | 5.8" | 6 | 16° – 31° |
| Year | 55° | 28° | 17.7" | 44.5" | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 35°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Sapphire Ridge’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 Sapphire Ridge’s center.
- Snow: Moccasin Exp Stn, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lewistown 42 Wsw, MT, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher; 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 Sapphire Ridge’s climate
What is the weather like in Sapphire Ridge?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sapphire Ridge in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 212 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Sapphire Ridge get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, most of it in January and April.
How hot does it get in Sapphire Ridge?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 46°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Lewistown 42 Wsw, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Sapphire Ridge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 15 and the first fall frost by September 4, about 77 frost-free days, at Lewistown 42 Wsw, MT.
What growing zone is Sapphire Ridge in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sapphire Ridge?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sapphire Ridge getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sapphire Ridge.
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.