Butte, ND climate
Butte has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Butte feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Butte 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 | 19° | 1° | 0.5" | 10.5" | 3 | -4° – 27° |
| February | 23° | 5° | 0.5" | 6.5" | 3 | -3° – 27° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 4 | 15° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.2" | 2.3" | 5 | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 9 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 0 | 11 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 2.7" | 0 | 8 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 2.1" | 0 | 6 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 45° | 1.7" | 0 | 6 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.4" | 1.7" | 5 | 34° – 49° |
| November | 37° | 19° | 0.7" | 8.9" | 3 | 14° – 39° |
| December | 24° | 7° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 3 | 3° – 25° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 18.3" | 44.1" | 65 |
“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 Butte
Butte gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
About 134 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first one by September 28. That leaves about 134 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 93% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Butte
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Butte, 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 Butte 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 Butte averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°). The shift is smaller than in 69% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Butte’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from -4° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Butte’s climate
What is the coldest month in Butte?
January, with a typical high of 19° and a low of 1°.
What is the hottest month in Butte?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 13 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Butte get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Butte?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 28, and the last spring frost by May 16.
What is the rainiest month in Butte?
June, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Butte itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Turtle Lake, ND (24 mi, snow) and Butte 5se, ND (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.