Santa Rita, MT climate
Santa Rita has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade2° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 59°, and a typical Oct 1 in Santa Rita peaks around 61°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Santa Rita feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Santa Rita 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 | 33° | 11° | 0.4" | 7.3" | 5 | 15 | 8° – 35° |
| February | 34° | 12° | 0.4" | 5.8" | 5 | 10 | -3° – 37° |
| March | 43° | 20° | 0.5" | 6.9" | 6 | 7 | 13° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.1" | 4.1" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 37° | 1.8" | 1.9" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 70° | 45° | 3.0" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| July | 80° | 50° | 1.2" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 56° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 48° | 1.1" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 69° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 55° | 30° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 20° | 0.5" | 5.5" | 5 | 5 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 33° | 12° | 0.4" | 5.5" | 5 | 11 | 10° – 33° |
| Year | 54° | 29° | 12.1" | 38.9" | 77 | 51 |
“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 Santa Rita
Santa Rita gets 12 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 51 days of the year.
About 113 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first one by September 15. That leaves about 113 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Rita
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Santa Rita, 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 Santa Rita 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 Santa Rita averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.8°). The shift is larger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Santa Rita’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 -3° to 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Santa Rita’s climate
What is the coldest month in Santa Rita?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Santa Rita?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 50°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Santa Rita get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Santa Rita?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 15, and the last spring frost by May 24.
What is the rainiest month in Santa Rita?
June, with 3.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 12 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Santa Rita itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Shelby, MT (25 mi, snow) and Cut Bank Municipal Airport, MT (7 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.