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Climate in Vida · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Vida

The warmest part of a July day comes in at 85° on average. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 94% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 68–77°, belongs to May, June and September.

Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns#3 coldest of 44 in MT
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns#23 driest of 44 in MT
All MT rankings →

A year in Vida at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan25°4°
Feb29°7°
Mar43°19°
Apr57°30°
May68°40° Last frost ~May 16
Jun77°50° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Jul85°55° 10 days 90°+
Aug85°53° 10 days 90°+
Sep73°43° First frost ~Sep 223 days 90°+
Oct57°31°
Nov now40°18°
Dec28°7°

What stands out about Vida’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vida’s place in Montana beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Vida feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
27° / 6°
Snow is rare
Spring
56° / 29°
Last frost around May 16
Summer
82° / 53°
25 days reach 90°
Fall
57° / 31°
First frost around Sep 22
Best months to be outsideMayJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 129 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vida 6 Ne, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

183
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
18th most of 44 in Montana
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns
36
nights at or below 0°
The most of 44 in Montana
More nights at or below 0° than all but 173 U.S. towns
25
days that reach 90°
20th most of 44 in Montana
More 90° days than 58% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 100°
9th most of 44 in Montana
More 100° days than 80% of U.S. towns
4aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4a

The 2023 USDA map puts Vida’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

10
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 14 inches of rain a year

June is the wettest month and February the driest.

14"
Rain + melted snow a year
23rd driest of 44 in Montana
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

2.9"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Vida

95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.

8,264 heating degree daysMore heating than 98% of U.S. towns
477 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 87% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Vida 6 Ne, MT.

Living here

Living with Vida’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

129 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 22.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Cold waves are 50% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vida from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Vida and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Vida yet.

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Vida averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).

+1.5°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 56% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.0°now 17°, was 14°
Spring+1.3°now 43°, was 41°
Summer+0.7°now 67°, was 67°
Fall+0.7°now 44°, was 43°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Vida compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vida’s place among Montana’s.

Summer heat85° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns27th coolest of 44 in Montana
Winter cold4° January low
Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns3rd coldest of 44 in Montana
Precipitation14" a year
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns23rd driest of 44 in Montana
Hot days25 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 58% of U.S. towns20th most of 44 in Montana
Freezing nights183 a year
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns18th most of 44 in Montana
Growing season129 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 98% of U.S. towns20th shortest of 42 in Montana
Month by month

Vida weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vida’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January25°4°0.3"2° – 29°
February29°7°0.3"−4° – 31°
March43°19°0.5"15° – 42°
April57°30°1.1"37° – 48°
May68°40°2.4"49° – 61°
June77°50°2.9"58° – 68°
July85°55°2.1"62° – 77°
August85°53°1.4"63° – 75°
September73°43°1.2"53° – 65°
October57°31°1.1"35° – 49°
November40°18°0.4"16° – 39°
December28°7°0.3"5° – 28°
Year55°30°14.1"
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Vida’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 Vida’s center.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vida 6 Ne, MT, 7 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 Vida’s climate

What is the weather like in Vida?

A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 4°. Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Vida in winter?

January nights average 4°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.

How hot does it get in Vida?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Vida 6 Ne, MT).

When is the first and last frost in Vida?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 129 frost-free days, at Vida 6 Ne, MT.

What growing zone is Vida in?

Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.

What is the best time of year to visit Vida?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Vida getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vida.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.