Photo: Rwslivka · CC BY-SA 4.0Less rain and snow falls on Winifred than on 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 12°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 72°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from June to September, when afternoons reach 72–84°.
A year in Winifred at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Winifred’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Winifred’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Winifred feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winifred, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Winifred’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 16 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 Winifred
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 Winifred, MT.
Living with Winifred’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Winifred from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Winifred and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Winifred 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 Winifred averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.3°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Winifred compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Winifred’s place among Montana’s.
Winifred weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Winifred’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 12° | 0.6" | 10° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 14° | 0.4" | 2° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 22° | 0.7" | 17° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.5" | 38° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 2.7" | 48° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 48° | 3.1" | 57° – 66° |
| July | 84° | 53° | 1.8" | 59° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 1.4" | 61° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 43° | 1.4" | 52° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.3" | 37° – 51° |
| November | 45° | 22° | 0.6" | 21° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.5" | 13° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 32° | 15.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 2° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Winifred’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 Winifred’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winifred, MT, 0.2 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 Winifred’s climate
What is the weather like in Winifred?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 12°. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Winifred in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How hot does it get in Winifred?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 53°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Winifred, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Winifred?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 127 frost-free days, at Winifred, MT.
What growing zone is Winifred in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Winifred?
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 Winifred getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Winifred.
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.