Precipitation in Yaak trails that of 87% of U.S. towns: 25 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 81% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Yaak at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Yaak’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Yaak’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Yaak 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 226 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 18 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Yaak 9nne, MT, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Yaak’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 25 inches of rain a year
November is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Yaak
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Yaak 9nne, MT.
Living with Yaak’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 74 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 43 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Yaak from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Yaak and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Yaak 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 Yaak averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.6°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Yaak compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Yaak’s place among Montana’s.
Yaak weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Yaak’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 18° | 2.6" | 17° – 30° |
| February | 37° | 19° | 1.8" | 17° – 34° |
| March | 47° | 24° | 2.3" | 29° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.7" | 38° – 50° |
| May | 65° | 37° | 2.2" | 46° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 43° | 2.4" | 54° – 65° |
| July | 82° | 47° | 1.1" | 56° – 71° |
| August | 82° | 46° | 0.9" | 58° – 68° |
| September | 71° | 38° | 1.5" | 50° – 59° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 2.3" | 36° – 48° |
| November | 39° | 25° | 3.3" | 26° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 18° | 3.0" | 17° – 29° |
| Year | 55° | 31° | 25.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Yaak’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 Yaak’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Yaak 9nne, MT, 9 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 Yaak’s climate
What is the weather like in Yaak?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Yaak in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 226 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How hot does it get in Yaak?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 47°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Yaak 9nne, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Yaak?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Yaak 9nne, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 226 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 74 days.
What growing zone is Yaak in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Yaak?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Yaak getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Yaak.
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.