Fort Shaw, MT climate
Fort Shaw has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Fort Shaw feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Fort Shaw 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 14° | 0.3" | 6.5" | 7 | 13 | 13° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.4" | 6.2" | 6 | 11 | 0° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 0.5" | 7.3" | 7 | 7 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.5" | 7.4" | 9 | 4 | 37° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 2.1" | 1.4" | 10 | 1 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 73° | 46° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 84° | 51° | 1.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 58° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 72° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 0.8" | 3.2" | 6 | 2 | 35° – 52° |
| November | 44° | 23° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 6 | 7 | 22° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 16° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 6 | 10 | 14° – 36° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 12.1" | 45.9" | 85 | 55 |
“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 Fort Shaw
Fort Shaw gets 12 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 55 days of the year.
About 96 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first one by September 10. That leaves about 96 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Shaw
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Fort Shaw, 98% of that work is heating and 2% 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 Fort Shaw 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 Fort Shaw averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°). The shift is smaller than in 54% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Fort Shaw’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 0° to 39°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Fort Shaw’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fort Shaw?
January, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Fort Shaw?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 51°. About 18 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fort Shaw get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.
When is the first frost in Fort Shaw?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 10, and the last spring frost by June 2.
What is the rainiest month in Fort Shaw?
June, with 2.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 12 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fort Shaw itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Simms 1 Ne, MT (5 mi, snow) and Sun Rvr 4 S, MT (4 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.