Wise River’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Wise River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wise River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wise River’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Wise River 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 273 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 35 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wise River’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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Divide, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wise River
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 Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT.
Living with Wise River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 27 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wise River 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 →Wise River and its neighbors
Butte-Silver Bow the hottest July afternoons (79°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wise River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise River, MT | 13° | 77° | 20" | 15" |
| Manitowoc, WI | 14° | 78° | 32" | 35" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Escanaba, MI | 11° | 77° | 30" | 47" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Wise River averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Wise River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wise River’s place among Montana’s.
Wise River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wise River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Divide, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 13° | 1.1" | 2.4" | 3 | 12° – 28° |
| February | 33° | 13° | 1.1" | 2.0" | 3 | 13° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 19° | 1.4" | 2.6" | 4 | 22° – 36° |
| April | 48° | 25° | 2.0" | 0.8" | 5 | 31° – 42° |
| May | 58° | 33° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 8 | 40° – 50° |
| June | 66° | 39° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 59° |
| July | 77° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 50° – 67° |
| August | 76° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 62° |
| September | 65° | 36° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 4 | 47° – 55° |
| October | 52° | 27° | 1.7" | 0.9" | 4 | 31° – 46° |
| November | 38° | 18° | 1.4" | 1.7" | 4 | 18° – 35° |
| December | 29° | 12° | 1.3" | 4.6" | 3 | 15° – 27° |
| Year | 51° | 27° | 19.9" | 15.2" | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 13° to 31°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Wise River’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 Wise River’s center.
- Snow: Divide, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT, 2.5 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 Wise River’s climate
What is the weather like in Wise River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wise River in winter?
December nights average 12°. About 273 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Wise River get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Divide, MT, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Wise River?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 44°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Wise River?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 273 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 27 days.
What growing zone is Wise River 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 Wise River?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wise River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wise River.
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.