Photo: Bitterroot National Forest · Public domainSula gets about 88 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 93% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Sula at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sula’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sula’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Sula feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 230 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 15 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sula 3 Ene, MT, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sula’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 88 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sula 14 Ne, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sula
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Sula 3 Ene, MT.
Living with Sula’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 59 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sula from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sula and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sula yet.
Climates most like Sula’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sula, MT | 14° | 83° | 15" | 88" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
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 Sula averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Sula compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sula’s place among Montana’s.
Sula weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sula’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sula 14 Ne, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 14° | 0.8" | 15.8" | 13 | 31 | 14° – 29° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.7" | 17.0" | 12 | 29 | 18° – 34° |
| March | 47° | 23° | 0.9" | 14.3" | 13 | 29 | 29° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.4" | 6.3" | 13 | 13 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 64° | 35° | 2.0" | 2.0" | 13 | 1 | 45° – 54° |
| June | 72° | 41° | 2.5" | 0.9" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 46° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 71° |
| August | 82° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| September | 72° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| October | 57° | 29° | 1.2" | 2.4" | 12 | 2 | 35° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 21° | 1.1" | 10.3" | 13 | 14 | 24° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 1.0" | 19.0" | 14 | 30 | 15° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 29° | 14.7" | 88.4" | 138 | 147 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Sula’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 Sula’s center.
- Snow: Sula 14 Ne, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sula 3 Ene, MT, 1.5 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 Sula’s climate
What is the weather like in Sula?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 88 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sula in winter?
December nights average 13°. About 230 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Sula get?
About 88 inches in a normal winter at Sula 14 Ne, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 147 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sula?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 46°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Sula 3 Ene, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Sula?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Sula 3 Ene, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 230 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 59 days.
What growing zone is Sula in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sula?
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 Sula getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sula.
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.