Less rain and snow falls on Square Butte than on 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 11°. Its January nights bite harder than in 92% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. For walks and days out, June and September bring highs of 73–75°.
A year in Square Butte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Square Butte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Square Butte’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Square Butte feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 134 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Geraldine, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Square Butte’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 Square Butte
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 Geraldine, MT.
Living with Square Butte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
134 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Square Butte from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Square Butte and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Square Butte 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 Square Butte averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.7°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Square Butte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Square Butte’s place among Montana’s.
Square Butte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Square Butte’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 11° | 0.5" | 10° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 0° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 22° | 0.7" | 18° – 42° |
| April | 57° | 30° | 1.6" | 38° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.5" | 48° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 47° | 2.8" | 58° – 65° |
| July | 85° | 52° | 1.4" | 59° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 50° | 1.3" | 61° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 42° | 1.3" | 53° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 1.0" | 36° – 51° |
| November | 46° | 21° | 0.6" | 22° – 41° |
| December | 37° | 13° | 0.5" | 12° – 35° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 14.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Square Butte’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 Square Butte’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Geraldine, MT, 7 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 Square Butte’s climate
What is the weather like in Square Butte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 11°. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Square Butte in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How hot does it get in Square Butte?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 52°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Geraldine, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Square Butte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 134 frost-free days, at Geraldine, MT.
What growing zone is Square Butte in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Square Butte?
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 Square Butte getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Square Butte.
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.