West Glendive’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in West Glendive at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Glendive’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Glendive’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in West Glendive feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glendive, MT, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Glendive’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Glendive, MT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 91 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Glendive
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Glendive, MT.
Living with West Glendive’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 79% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Glendive from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Glendive and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around West Glendive yet.
Climates most like West Glendive’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 Glendive, MT | 6° | 87° | 14" | 23" |
| Rock Springs, WY | 9° | 87° | 9" | 31" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Pierre, SD | 9° | 88° | 19" | 37" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 Glendive averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Glendive compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Glendive’s place among Montana’s.
West Glendive weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Glendive’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glendive, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 6° | 0.3" | 4.0" | 6 | 23 | 7° – 31° |
| February | 33° | 10° | 0.4" | 5.3" | 6 | 16 | 0° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 21° | 0.5" | 3.1" | 6 | 11 | 17° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.4" | 2.0" | 8 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 78° | 52° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 87° | 55° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 45° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 32° | 1.0" | 1.4" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 43° | 20° | 0.4" | 2.0" | 5 | 6 | 19° – 41° |
| December | 31° | 10° | 0.4" | 4.3" | 6 | 15 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 14.1" | 22.6" | 91 | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 34°. May is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where West Glendive’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 Glendive’s center.
- Snow: Glendive, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glendive, MT, 1.7 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 West Glendive’s climate
What is the weather like in West Glendive?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Glendive in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does West Glendive get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Glendive, MT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 73 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Glendive?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 38 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Glendive, MT).
When is the first and last frost in West Glendive?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 153 frost-free days, at Glendive, MT.
What growing zone is West Glendive in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Glendive?
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 West Glendive getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Glendive.
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.