Hungry Horse, MT climate
Hungry Horse has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Hungry Horse feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Hungry Horse 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 | 31° | 18° | 2.2" | 13.8" | 14 | 24 | 16° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 18° | 1.4" | 11.0" | 10 | 19 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 44° | 24° | 1.6" | 6.3" | 11 | 11 | 25° – 40° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 1.8" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 64° | 38° | 2.2" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 70° | 45° | 3.3" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 81° | 49° | 1.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 56° – 72° |
| August | 80° | 47° | 1.0" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| September | 69° | 40° | 1.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 2.1" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| November | 39° | 25° | 2.3" | 3.4" | 12 | 5 | 25° – 39° |
| December | 31° | 19° | 2.1" | 13.4" | 13 | 18 | 18° – 31° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 22.9" | 50.6" | 129 | 79 |
“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 Hungry Horse
Hungry Horse gets 23 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 79 days of the year.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 141 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 88% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Hungry Horse
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Hungry Horse, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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 Hungry Horse 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 Hungry Horse averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°). The shift is larger than in 79% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Hungry Horse’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 13° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Hungry Horse’s climate
What is the coldest month in Hungry Horse?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Hungry Horse?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 49°. About 16 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Hungry Horse get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Hungry Horse?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 9.
What is the rainiest month in Hungry Horse?
June, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 23 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Hungry Horse itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Creston, MT (14 mi, snow) and Hungry Horse Dam, MT (3 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.