Dodson, MT climate
Dodson has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade3° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 63°, and a typical Sep 30 in Dodson peaks around 66°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Dodson feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Dodson 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 | 28° | 6° | 0.5" | 1.2" | 4 | 3° – 31° |
| February | 33° | 9° | 0.4" | 0.5" | 3 | -4° – 35° |
| March | 45° | 20° | 0.6" | 1.0" | 4 | 14° – 43° |
| April | 59° | 31° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 5 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 41° | 2.0" | 0 | 8 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 2.7" | 0 | 9 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 56° | 1.5" | 0 | 5 | 62° – 78° |
| August | 86° | 54° | 1.1" | 0 | 4 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.1" | 0 | 4 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 43° | 19° | 0.5" | 3.5" | 3 | 18° – 41° |
| December | 31° | 9° | 0.5" | 3.4" | 3 | 6° – 31° |
| Year | 57° | 31° | 12.4" | 10.1" | 57 |
“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 Dodson
Dodson gets 12 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first one by September 29. That leaves about 139 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Dodson
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Dodson, 93% of that work is heating and 7% 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 Dodson 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 Dodson averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°). The shift is larger than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Dodson’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 -4° to 35°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Dodson’s climate
What is the coldest month in Dodson?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 6°.
What is the hottest month in Dodson?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 56°. About 30 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Dodson get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in November.
When is the first frost in Dodson?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 29, and the last spring frost by May 10.
What is the rainiest month in Dodson?
June, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 12 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Dodson itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Dodson 1 Wnw, MT (1 mi, snow) and Malta, MT (17 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.