Musselshell, MT climate
Musselshell has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Musselshell feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Musselshell 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 | 35° | 12° | 0.5" | 8.7" | 5 | 14 | 13° – 37° |
| February | 39° | 15° | 0.5" | 6.5" | 5 | 10 | 4° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 23° | 0.8" | 6.9" | 6 | 5 | 21° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.8" | 3.6" | 9 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.9" | 1.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 2.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 56° | 1.5" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 61° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 53° | 1.1" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 33° | 1.3" | 2.5" | 6 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 22° | 0.6" | 5.6" | 5 | 5 | 23° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 4 | 10 | 14° – 35° |
| Year | 60° | 33° | 15.4" | 42.9" | 78 | 46 |
“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 Musselshell
Musselshell gets 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 46 days of the year.
About 141 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 141 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 88% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Musselshell
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Musselshell, 92% of that work is heating and 8% 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 Musselshell 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 Musselshell averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°). The shift is smaller than in 59% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Musselshell’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 39°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Musselshell’s climate
What is the coldest month in Musselshell?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 12°.
What is the hottest month in Musselshell?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 56°. About 41 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Musselshell get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Musselshell?
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 Musselshell?
May, with 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 15 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Musselshell itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Melstone, MT (13 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.