Sleeping Buffalo, MT climate
Sleeping Buffalo has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 4°.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sleeping Buffalo feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sleeping Buffalo 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 | 25° | 4° | 0.3" | 1° – 29° |
| February | 31° | 8° | 0.3" | -5° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 19° | 0.6" | 12° – 41° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.0" | 39° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 41° | 2.1" | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.9" | 59° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 55° | 1.7" | 62° – 77° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 1.2" | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.2" | 53° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 0.9" | 36° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 18° | 0.4" | 17° – 40° |
| December | 29° | 7° | 0.4" | 3° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 13.0" |
“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 Sleeping Buffalo
Sleeping Buffalo gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first one by September 23. That leaves about 130 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 95% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sleeping Buffalo
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sleeping Buffalo, 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 Sleeping Buffalo 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 Sleeping Buffalo averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°). The shift is larger than in 79% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sleeping Buffalo’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 -5° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Sleeping Buffalo’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sleeping Buffalo?
January, with a typical high of 25° and a low of 4°.
What is the hottest month in Sleeping Buffalo?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 19 days a year reach 90°.
When is the first frost in Sleeping Buffalo?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 23, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in Sleeping Buffalo?
June, with 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sleeping Buffalo itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Saco 1 Nnw, MT (8 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.