Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Starr School
Midwinter brings lows of about 14°. Temperatures cover 62° across the year, low to high. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about June 8; in half of years the first frost comes by September 5.
A year in Starr School at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Starr School’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Starr School’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Starr School feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 88 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 8 and the first by September 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at E Glacier, MT, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Starr School’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 22 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Starr School
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 E Glacier, MT.
Living with Starr School’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
88 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 8 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 4.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Starr School from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Starr School and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Starr School 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 Starr School averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.0°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Starr School compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Starr School’s place among Montana’s.
Starr School weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Starr School’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 14° | 1.7" | 11° – 30° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.7" | 1° – 34° |
| March | 39° | 20° | 1.8" | 16° – 37° |
| April | 48° | 27° | 1.8" | 32° – 44° |
| May | 58° | 35° | 2.5" | 42° – 51° |
| June | 65° | 42° | 3.4" | 51° – 59° |
| July | 75° | 47° | 1.3" | 52° – 69° |
| August | 75° | 45° | 1.3" | 54° – 64° |
| September | 65° | 39° | 1.5" | 48° – 57° |
| October | 51° | 31° | 1.8" | 33° – 47° |
| November | 37° | 22° | 1.9" | 20° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 15° | 1.7" | 12° – 30° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 22.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 1° to 34°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Starr School’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 Starr School’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: E Glacier, MT, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Starr School’s climate
What is the weather like in Starr School?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 14°. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Starr School in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 201 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How hot does it get in Starr School?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 47°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (E Glacier, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Starr School?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 8 and the first fall frost by September 5, about 88 frost-free days, at E Glacier, MT.
What growing zone is Starr School 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 Starr School?
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 Starr School getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Starr School.
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.