Photo: Jason Woodhead · CC BY 4.0Virginia City sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 16° on average. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to May, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Virginia City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Virginia City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Virginia City’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Virginia City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 106 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 4 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Virginia City, MT, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 400 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Virginia City’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Virginia City, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Virginia City
98% 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 Virginia City, MT.
Living with Virginia City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
106 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Jun 4 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Virginia City from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Virginia City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Virginia City yet.
Climates most like Virginia City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia City, MT | 16° | 79° | 17" | 65" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Virginia City averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Virginia City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Virginia City’s place among Montana’s.
Virginia City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Virginia City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Virginia City, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 16° | 0.8" | 11.2" | 6 | 17° – 30° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 6 | 15° – 34° |
| March | 43° | 22° | 1.2" | 6.6" | 6 | 24° – 39° |
| April | 50° | 28° | 1.9" | 10.7" | 10 | 34° – 44° |
| May | 59° | 36° | 2.6" | 4.3" | 11 | 42° – 52° |
| June | 68° | 43° | 2.8" | 0.2" | 12 | 50° – 63° |
| July | 79° | 50° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 54° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 57° – 67° |
| September | 67° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 6 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 53° | 32° | 1.4" | 3.6" | 7 | 35° – 48° |
| November | 40° | 22° | 1.0" | 7.7" | 7 | 21° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 15° | 1.0" | 12.2" | 7 | 17° – 28° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 17.1" | 64.7" | 93 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Virginia City’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 Virginia City’s center.
- Snow: Virginia City, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Virginia City, MT, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, 400 ft lower; 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 Virginia City’s climate
What is the weather like in Virginia City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Virginia City in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 198 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Virginia City get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Virginia City, MT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Virginia City?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 50°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Virginia City, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Virginia City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 4 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 106 frost-free days, at Virginia City, MT.
What growing zone is Virginia City in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Virginia City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Virginia City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Virginia City.
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.