Missouri River Bridge · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Wolf Creek: 12 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 84° on average. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 68°. In January, nights here are colder than in 80% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, June, August and September bring highs of 73–83°.
A year in Wolf Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wolf Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wolf Creek’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Wolf Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 124 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Holter Dam, MT, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wolf Creek’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Holter Dam, MT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wolf 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 Holter Dam, MT.
Living with Wolf Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
124 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 19 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wolf Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wolf Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wolf Creek yet.
Climates most like Wolf Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Creek, MT | 16° | 84° | 12" | 28" |
| Raton, NM | 15° | 85° | 16" | 25" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
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 Wolf Creek averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Wolf Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wolf Creek’s place among Montana’s.
Wolf Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wolf Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Holter Dam, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 16° | 0.4" | 6.9" | 6 | 12 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 17° | 0.4" | 5.4" | 6 | 9 | 5° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 24° | 0.5" | 2.7" | 6 | 5 | 23° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.3" | 2.2" | 9 | 2 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 74° | 45° | 2.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 84° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 73° | 41° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 7 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 43° | 25° | 0.5" | 3.4" | 5 | 7 | 26° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 17° | 0.5" | 6.2" | 5 | 11 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 12.2" | 28.0" | 85 | 48 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Wolf 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 Wolf Creek’s center.
- Snow: Holter Dam, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Holter Dam, MT, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 Wolf Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Wolf Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wolf Creek in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Wolf Creek get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Holter Dam, MT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wolf Creek?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 50°. About 29 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Holter Dam, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Wolf Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 124 frost-free days, at Holter Dam, MT.
What growing zone is Wolf Creek in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wolf Creek?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wolf Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wolf 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.