Photo: John Vachon · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Wisdom
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 7°. The wettest month is June; the driest is March. Its January nights bite harder than in 96% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs September to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Wisdom at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wisdom’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wisdom’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Wisdom feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 277 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 51 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wisdom, MT, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wisdom’s center in zone 3a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −36°. 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 15 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and March the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Wisdom
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Wisdom, MT.
Living with Wisdom’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 3a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 22 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wisdom from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wisdom and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wisdom 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 Wisdom averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
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 Wisdom compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wisdom’s place among Montana’s.
Wisdom weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wisdom’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 7° | 1.0" | 7° – 23° |
| February | 32° | 8° | 0.9" | 10° – 28° |
| March | 41° | 16° | 0.9" | 18° – 36° |
| April | 48° | 23° | 1.3" | 29° – 41° |
| May | 59° | 30° | 1.9" | 38° – 49° |
| June | 67° | 37° | 2.1" | 48° – 57° |
| July | 77° | 41° | 1.0" | 51° – 66° |
| August | 77° | 38° | 0.9" | 53° – 62° |
| September | 67° | 32° | 1.2" | 46° – 54° |
| October | 52° | 24° | 1.1" | 31° – 44° |
| November | 36° | 15° | 1.1" | 15° – 33° |
| December | 27° | 7° | 1.2" | 10° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 23° | 14.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 28°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wisdom’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 Wisdom’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wisdom, MT, 0.6 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 Wisdom’s climate
What is the weather like in Wisdom?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 7°. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wisdom in winter?
December nights average 7°. About 277 nights a year reach 32° or below and 51 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How hot does it get in Wisdom?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 41°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Wisdom, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Wisdom?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Wisdom, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 277 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 22 days.
What growing zone is Wisdom in?
Zone 3a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −36°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wisdom?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wisdom 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 Wisdom.
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.