Precipitation in Sylvanite trails that of 85% of U.S. towns: 31 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.6° higher. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to August, with highs of 71–82°.
A year in Sylvanite at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sylvanite’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sylvanite’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Sylvanite 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 226 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 18 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Yaak 9nne, MT, 20 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sylvanite’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bonners Ferry, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; November is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sylvanite
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 Yaak 9nne, MT.
Living with Sylvanite’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 6a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 74 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 6.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sylvanite from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sylvanite and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sylvanite yet.
Climates most like Sylvanite’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvanite, MT | 20° | 82° | 31" | 54" |
| Wilson, NY | 20° | 81° | 33" | 55" |
| Bay City, MI | 16° | 82° | 32" | 49" |
| Cudahy, WI | 16° | 81° | 34" | 49" |
| Beach Park, IL | 16° | 82° | 36" | 43" |
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 Sylvanite averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Sylvanite compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sylvanite’s place among Montana’s.
Sylvanite weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sylvanite’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bonners Ferry, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 20° | 3.5" | 15.0" | 13 | 25 | 17° – 32° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 2.5" | 10.8" | 9 | 14 | 19° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 25° | 3.0" | 3.7" | 11 | 6 | 30° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 2.2" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 71° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 82° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 70° | 40° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 53° | 32° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| November | 38° | 26° | 4.1" | 6.4" | 13 | 4 | 25° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 20° | 4.0" | 17.3" | 13 | 18 | 19° – 30° |
| Year | 55° | 32° | 31.1" | 53.8" | 114 | 66 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Sylvanite’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 Sylvanite’s center.
- Snow: Bonners Ferry, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Yaak 9nne, MT, 20 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Sylvanite’s climate
What is the weather like in Sylvanite?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sylvanite in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 226 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Sylvanite get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Bonners Ferry, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 66 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sylvanite?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 48°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Yaak 9nne, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Sylvanite?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Yaak 9nne, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 226 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 74 days.
What growing zone is Sylvanite in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sylvanite?
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 Sylvanite getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sylvanite.
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.