Winnett Block · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Winnett trails that of 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 12°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 91% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in January. Garden planting can start around May 16; autumn frost returns near September 28.
A year in Winnett at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Winnett’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Winnett’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Winnett feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Winnett’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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 70 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Winnett
94% 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 Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT.
Living with Winnett’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Winnett from natural hazards, lightning is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Winnett and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Winnett yet.
Climates most like Winnett’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnett, MT | 12° | 86° | 15" | 43" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Box Elder, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
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 Winnett averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Winnett compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Winnett’s place among Montana’s.
Winnett weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Winnett’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 12° | 0.5" | 10.4" | 4 | 15 | 12° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.5" | 9.0" | 4 | 10 | 3° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 23° | 0.6" | 4.7" | 6 | 6 | 19° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.5" | 4.2" | 7 | 2 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 86° | 56° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 78° |
| August | 86° | 54° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 33° | 1.1" | 2.3" | 5 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 22° | 0.5" | 3.8" | 4 | 5 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.5" | 8.8" | 4 | 13 | 13° – 35° |
| Year | 59° | 33° | 14.7" | 43.4" | 70 | 51 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 39°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Winnett’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 Winnett’s center.
- Snow: Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher; 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 Winnett’s climate
What is the weather like in Winnett?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Winnett in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 173 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Winnett get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 51 days a year.
How hot does it get in Winnett?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 56°. About 35 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Winnett?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 132 frost-free days, at Flatwillow 4 Ene, MT.
What growing zone is Winnett 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 Winnett?
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 Winnett getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Winnett.
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.