Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0West Glacier gets about 115 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 170 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 80°. The wettest month is June; the driest is August. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in West Glacier at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Glacier’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Glacier’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in West Glacier feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 124 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at W Glacier, MT, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Glacier’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 115 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at W Glacier, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 162 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Glacier
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 W Glacier, MT.
Living with West Glacier’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
124 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 6.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Glacier from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Glacier and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around West Glacier yet.
Climates most like West Glacier’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Glacier, MT | 18° | 80° | 29" | 115" |
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
| Parma, NY | 18° | 81° | 34" | 102" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| Black Forest, CO | 16° | 81° | 20" | 121" |
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 West Glacier averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 West Glacier compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Glacier’s place among Montana’s.
West Glacier weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Glacier’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from W Glacier, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 18° | 3.2" | 32.0" | 18 | 31 | 16° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 2.0" | 16.0" | 15 | 29 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 2.2" | 14.0" | 15 | 30 | 25° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 2.1" | 3.1" | 14 | 14 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 64° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.5" | 14 | 1 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 70° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| July | 80° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 72° |
| August | 80° | 47° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 69° | 40° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| October | 53° | 31° | 2.7" | 2.0" | 14 | 2 | 37° – 48° |
| November | 38° | 25° | 3.1" | 16.2" | 16 | 13 | 24° – 38° |
| December | 31° | 19° | 2.9" | 31.4" | 18 | 28 | 17° – 30° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 28.7" | 115.2" | 162 | 147 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where West Glacier’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 West Glacier’s center.
- Snow: W Glacier, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: W Glacier, MT, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 West Glacier’s climate
What is the weather like in West Glacier?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 115 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Glacier in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does West Glacier get?
About 115 inches in a normal winter at W Glacier, MT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 147 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Glacier?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 49°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (W Glacier, MT).
When is the first and last frost in West Glacier?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 124 frost-free days, at W Glacier, MT.
What growing zone is West Glacier in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Glacier?
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 West Glacier getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Glacier.
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.