Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0Montello is among the driest of U.S. towns: 8 inches of precipitation a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 92° on average. Only 80° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In January, nights here are colder than in 90% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly June 1 to September 12.
A year in Montello at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Montello’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Montello’s place in Nevada beside it.
What a year in Montello feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 100 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 1 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Montello 2ne, NV, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Montello’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Montello 2ne, NV, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Montello
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 Montello 2ne, NV.
Living with Montello’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
100 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 1 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Montello from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Montello and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Montello yet.
Climates most like Montello’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montello, NV | 13° | 92° | 8" | 14" |
| Price, UT | 14° | 92° | 9" | 8.7" |
| Bloomfield, NM | 18° | 93° | 8" | 11" |
| Pueblo, CO | 17° | 93° | 12" | 15" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
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 Montello averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Montello compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Montello’s place among Nevada’s.
Montello weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Montello’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Montello 2ne, NV. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.7" | 4.5" | 7 | 11° – 34° |
| February | 43° | 18° | 0.5" | 1.6" | 5 | 20° – 39° |
| March | 53° | 25° | 0.6" | 0.9" | 4 | 35° – 44° |
| April | 60° | 30° | 0.9" | 0.5" | 6 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 38° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 82° | 45° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 58° – 70° |
| July | 92° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 90° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 64° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 4 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 49° | 20° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 5 | 27° – 40° |
| December | 37° | 12° | 0.6" | 6.0" | 5 | 16° – 30° |
| Year | 63° | 31° | 8.3" | 13.9" | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Montello’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 Montello’s center.
- Snow: Montello 2ne, NV (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Montello 2ne, NV, 1.6 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 Montello’s climate
What is the weather like in Montello?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Montello in winter?
December nights average 12°. About 212 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Montello get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Montello 2ne, NV, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Montello?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 52°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Montello 2ne, NV).
When is the first and last frost in Montello?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 1 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 100 frost-free days, at Montello 2ne, NV.
What growing zone is Montello in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Montello?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Montello getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Montello.
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.