Hays, MT climate
Hays has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 12°.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Hays feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Hays weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 12° | 0.7" | 8° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 14° | 0.6" | 0° – 37° |
| March | 43° | 23° | 1.0" | 17° – 41° |
| April | 52° | 31° | 1.8" | 36° – 46° |
| May | 61° | 40° | 2.9" | 45° – 57° |
| June | 70° | 48° | 3.4" | 54° – 64° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 1.9" | 57° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 1.4" | 60° – 72° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 1.6" | 51° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 1.4" | 36° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 23° | 0.7" | 20° – 43° |
| December | 33° | 16° | 0.6" | 12° – 34° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 18.1" |
“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 Hays
Hays gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first one by September 23. That leaves about 126 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 96% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Hays
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Hays, 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 Hays 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 Hays averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°). The shift is larger than in 71% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Hays’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 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Hays’s climate
What is the coldest month in Hays?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 12°.
What is the hottest month in Hays?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
When is the first frost in Hays?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 23, and the last spring frost by May 18.
What is the rainiest month in Hays?
June, with 3.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Hays itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Zortman, MT (9 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.