Willow Creek sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 11 inches a year
July afternoons average 86°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 72° apart. Its January nights bite harder than in 86% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit June and September, with highs of 74–76°.
A year in Willow Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Willow Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Willow Creek’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Willow Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Trident, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Willow Creek’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Willow Creek
96% 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 Trident, MT.
Living with Willow Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Willow Creek from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Willow Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Willow Creek yet.
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 Willow Creek averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Willow Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Willow Creek’s place among Montana’s.
Willow Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Willow Creek’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 15° | 0.3" | 16° – 33° |
| February | 39° | 16° | 0.3" | 14° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 0.6" | 27° – 43° |
| April | 58° | 30° | 1.3" | 38° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.9" | 49° – 57° |
| June | 76° | 45° | 2.3" | 56° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 51° | 1.0" | 59° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 48° | 0.9" | 61° – 71° |
| September | 74° | 41° | 1.0" | 54° – 62° |
| October | 60° | 31° | 0.8" | 37° – 51° |
| November | 45° | 21° | 0.5" | 24° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 14° | 0.4" | 17° – 30° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 11.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 37°. May is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Willow Creek’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 Willow Creek’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Trident, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Willow Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Willow Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 15°. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Willow Creek in winter?
December nights average 14°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How hot does it get in Willow Creek?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 51°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Trident, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Willow Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 139 frost-free days, at Trident, MT.
What growing zone is Willow Creek in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Willow Creek?
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 Willow Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Willow Creek.
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.