Sleeping Buffalo Rock · Photo: Robstutz · CC BY-SA 3.0Sleeping Buffalo sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 86° on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 82°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 95% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Sleeping Buffalo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sleeping Buffalo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sleeping Buffalo’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Sleeping Buffalo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saco 1 Nnw, MT, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sleeping Buffalo’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. 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 13 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sleeping Buffalo
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 Saco 1 Nnw, MT.
Living with Sleeping Buffalo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
130 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 48% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sleeping Buffalo from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sleeping Buffalo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sleeping Buffalo 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 Sleeping Buffalo averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Sleeping Buffalo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sleeping Buffalo’s place among Montana’s.
Sleeping Buffalo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sleeping Buffalo’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 4° | 0.3" | 1° – 29° |
| February | 31° | 8° | 0.3" | −5° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 19° | 0.6" | 12° – 41° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.0" | 39° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 41° | 2.1" | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.9" | 59° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 55° | 1.7" | 62° – 77° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 1.2" | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.2" | 53° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 0.9" | 36° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 18° | 0.4" | 17° – 40° |
| December | 29° | 7° | 0.4" | 3° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 12.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Sleeping Buffalo’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 Sleeping Buffalo’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saco 1 Nnw, MT, 8 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 Sleeping Buffalo’s climate
What is the weather like in Sleeping Buffalo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 4°. Colder January nights than all but 137 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sleeping Buffalo in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 197 nights a year reach 32° or below and 41 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How hot does it get in Sleeping Buffalo?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Saco 1 Nnw, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Sleeping Buffalo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 130 frost-free days, at Saco 1 Nnw, MT.
What growing zone is Sleeping Buffalo in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sleeping Buffalo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sleeping Buffalo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sleeping Buffalo.
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.