Monarch, MT climate
Monarch has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 149 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Monarch feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Monarch 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 | 34° | 14° | 0.9" | 23.2" | 7 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 15° | 0.9" | 24.4" | 8 | 8° – 35° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 1.2" | 22.6" | 8 | 19° – 39° |
| April | 50° | 28° | 2.2" | 22.2" | 11 | 33° – 44° |
| May | 60° | 36° | 3.4" | 3.4" | 12 | 43° – 53° |
| June | 68° | 43° | 3.9" | 1.4" | 12 | 51° – 62° |
| July | 79° | 48° | 1.9" | 0 | 8 | 54° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 47° | 1.6" | 0 | 7 | 56° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 40° | 1.8" | 0.9" | 6 | 49° – 59° |
| October | 54° | 30° | 1.8" | 7.2" | 8 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 1.0" | 20.3" | 7 | 23° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 15° | 1.0" | 23.7" | 7 | 14° – 31° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 21.4" | 149.3" | 101 |
“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 Monarch
Monarch gets 21 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.
About 99 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 6 and the first one by September 12. That leaves about 99 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Monarch
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Monarch, 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 Monarch 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 Monarch averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.7°). The shift is larger than in 72% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Monarch’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 8° to 35°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Monarch’s climate
What is the coldest month in Monarch?
January, with a typical high of 34° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Monarch?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 48°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Monarch get?
About 149 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Monarch?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 12, and the last spring frost by June 6.
What is the rainiest month in Monarch?
June, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 21 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Monarch itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Millegan 14 Se, MT (22 mi, snow) and Neihart 8 Nnw, MT (5 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.