Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than St. Marie
High summer brings afternoon highs near 83°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 80°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 96% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 70–83°.
A year in St. Marie at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Marie’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Marie’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in St. Marie 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 13 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at St Marie, MT, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Marie’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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Glasgow International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in St. Marie
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 St Marie, MT.
Living with St. Marie’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 13 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Marie from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Marie and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Marie yet.
Climates most like St. Marie’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marie, MT | 3° | 83° | 12" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Dickinson, ND | 5° | 83° | 16" | 35" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 St. Marie averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 St. Marie compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Marie’s place among Montana’s.
St. Marie weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Marie’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glasgow International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 3° | 0.4" | 9.8" | 8 | 24 | 1° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 0.2" | 6.2" | 6 | 18 | −6° – 30° |
| March | 40° | 18° | 0.3" | 5.6" | 7 | 12 | 11° – 39° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 0.8" | 2.5" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.0" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 0.9" | 1.5" | 7 | 1 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 17° | 0.3" | 5.9" | 6 | 8 | 14° – 38° |
| December | 25° | 7° | 0.2" | 8.3" | 7 | 17 | 3° – 27° |
| Year | 53° | 29° | 12.2" | 40.7" | 95 | 80 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where St. Marie’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 St. Marie’s center.
- Snow: Glasgow International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: St Marie, MT, 0.7 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 St. Marie’s climate
What is the weather like in St. Marie?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 110 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Marie in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does St. Marie get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Glasgow International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 80 days a year.
How hot does it get in St. Marie?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (St Marie, MT).
When is the first and last frost in St. Marie?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 134 frost-free days, at St Marie, MT.
What growing zone is St. Marie 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 St. Marie?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is St. Marie getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Marie.
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.