Photo: SportSuburban · CC BY 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Townsend: 10 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 89% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Plan time outside for June and September, when highs sit at 73–75°.
A year in Townsend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Townsend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Townsend’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Townsend feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Townsend 3se, MT, 3 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Townsend’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 24 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Townsend 3se, MT, falls mostly in January, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Townsend
97% 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 Townsend 3se, MT.
Living with Townsend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 19 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Townsend from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Townsend and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Townsend yet.
Climates most like Townsend’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townsend, MT | 13° | 85° | 10" | 24" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Salida, CO | 10° | 85° | 8" | 37" |
| Rock Springs, WY | 9° | 87° | 9" | 31" |
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 Townsend averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Townsend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Townsend’s place among Montana’s.
Townsend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Townsend’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Townsend 3se, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 13° | 0.3" | 4.4" | 5 | 15 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 16° | 0.2" | 3.2" | 5 | 8 | 10° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 23° | 0.4" | 4.0" | 5 | 4 | 26° – 42° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 0.9" | 2.3" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 75° | 46° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| July | 85° | 52° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 59° | 32° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 44° | 22° | 0.4" | 3.9" | 5 | 6 | 23° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 14° | 0.3" | 4.4" | 5 | 13 | 15° – 30° |
| Year | 58° | 31° | 10.1" | 23.7" | 83 | 45 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 36°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Townsend’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 Townsend’s center.
- Snow: Townsend 3se, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Townsend 3se, MT, 3 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Townsend’s climate
What is the weather like in Townsend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Townsend in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Townsend get?
About 24 inches in a normal winter at Townsend 3se, MT, most of it in January, March and December, with snow on the ground about 45 days a year.
How hot does it get in Townsend?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 52°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Townsend 3se, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Townsend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 122 frost-free days, at Townsend 3se, MT.
What growing zone is Townsend in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Townsend?
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 Townsend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Townsend.
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.