Butte-Silver Bow, MT climate
Butte-Silver Bow has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Butte-Silver Bow feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Butte-Silver Bow 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° | 14° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 3 | 15° – 29° |
| February | 35° | 14° | 0.6" | 2.0" | 3 | 15° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 0.8" | 2.6" | 4 | 24° – 38° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 1.5" | 0.8" | 5 | 33° – 43° |
| May | 59° | 35° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 42° – 52° |
| June | 68° | 41° | 2.6" | 0 | 10 | 50° – 61° |
| July | 79° | 47° | 1.2" | 0 | 6 | 53° – 69° |
| August | 78° | 45° | 1.2" | 0 | 6 | 55° – 65° |
| September | 67° | 38° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 4 | 49° – 57° |
| October | 53° | 29° | 1.1" | 0.9" | 4 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 39° | 20° | 0.7" | 1.7" | 4 | 22° – 38° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 0.6" | 4.6" | 3 | 16° – 28° |
| Year | 53° | 29° | 14.3" | 15.2" | 59 |
“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 Butte-Silver Bow
Butte-Silver Bow gets 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
About 85 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 10 and the first one by September 7. That leaves about 85 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 100% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Butte-Silver Bow
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Butte-Silver Bow, 99% of that work is heating and 1% 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.
Butte-Silver Bow and its neighbors
Butte-Silver Bow borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.2°. Wise River has the coldest January nights (13°) and Dewey the hottest July afternoons (77°). Butte-Silver Bow’s January low is 14° and its July high 79°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Butte-Silver Bow 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 Butte-Silver Bow averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°). The shift is larger than in 74% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Butte-Silver Bow’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 15° to 32°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Butte-Silver Bow’s climate
What is the coldest month in Butte-Silver Bow?
December, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Butte-Silver Bow?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 47°. About 7 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Butte-Silver Bow get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Butte-Silver Bow?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 7, and the last spring frost by June 10.
What is the rainiest month in Butte-Silver Bow?
June, with 2.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 14 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Butte-Silver Bow itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Divide, MT (11 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.