Bear Dance, MT climate
Bear Dance has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Bear Dance feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Bear Dance weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 21° | 1.9" | 8.4" | 13 | 18° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 1.4" | 4.2" | 10 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 27° | 1.6" | 5.0" | 12 | 29° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 2.0" | 0.9" | 12 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 64° | 40° | 2.5" | 0 | 12 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 70° | 46° | 3.3" | 0 | 13 | 55° – 66° |
| July | 81° | 52° | 1.1" | 0 | 7 | 56° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 50° | 1.0" | 0 | 6 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 1.6" | 0 | 8 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 2.1" | 0.7" | 11 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 27° | 2.1" | 4.7" | 13 | 27° – 41° |
| December | 31° | 21° | 1.9" | 9.7" | 13 | 20° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 22.5" | 33.6" | 128 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Bear Dance
Bear Dance gets 22 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 165 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 65% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Bear Dance
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Bear Dance, 97% of that work is heating and 3% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Bear Dance compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bear Dance averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Bear Dance’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 16° to 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Bear Dance’s climate
What is the coldest month in Bear Dance?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 21°.
What is the hottest month in Bear Dance?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 52°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Bear Dance get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Bear Dance?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by May 1.
What is the rainiest month in Bear Dance?
June, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bear Dance itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Skq Dam, MT (18 mi, snow) and Bigfork 13 S, MT (2 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.