Superior is drier than 91% of U.S. towns: 18 inches of precipitation a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 86°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 66°. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Superior at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Superior’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Superior’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Superior feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Superior, MT, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Superior’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alberton, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 137 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Superior
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 Superior, MT.
Living with Superior’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 17 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: June and September. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Superior from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Superior and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Superior yet.
Climates most like Superior’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior, MT | 21° | 86° | 18" | 49" |
| Applewood, CO | 20° | 87° | 18" | 58" |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 22° | 86° | 14" | 52" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
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 Superior averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Superior compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Superior’s place among Montana’s.
Superior weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Superior’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alberton, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 21° | 1.2" | 10.3" | 14 | 25 | 19° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 22° | 1.4" | 11.1" | 13 | 18 | 21° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 27° | 1.5" | 6.0" | 14 | 8 | 33° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.5" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 39° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 45° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 86° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 75° |
| August | 86° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 33° | 1.5" | 1.2" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 26° | 1.8" | 6.4" | 13 | 6 | 28° – 39° |
| December | 33° | 21° | 1.7" | 12.8" | 14 | 20 | 22° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 34° | 17.6" | 49.4" | 137 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 58° to 75°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Superior’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 Superior’s center.
- Snow: Alberton, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Superior, MT, 0.6 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 Superior’s climate
What is the weather like in Superior?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Superior in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 161 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Superior get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Alberton, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Superior?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 50°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Superior, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Superior?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 125 frost-free days, at Superior, MT.
What growing zone is Superior in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Superior?
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 Superior getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Superior.
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.