Cost to Own
United StatesMontanaYellowstone CountyClimate Station HUNTLEY EXP STN, MT US Distance 1.8 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Yellowstone County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

87.1°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 11.8°F.

Yellowstone County gets 14.44" of precipitation a year and 34.4" of snow, and 45% of it falls in Apr, May, Jun.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

20° 40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 34.9° 11.8° 0.45" 6.7"
February 39.2° 14.3° 0.50" 7.1"
March 49.8° 22.1° 0.80" 4.7"
April 58.5° 31.9° 1.70" 1.8"
May 67.5° 41.4° 2.61" 0.2"
June 77.1° 49.5° 2.26" 0.0"
July 87.1° 54.9° 1.53" 0.0"
August 86.1° 52.5° 0.85" 0.0"
September 75.3° 43.2° 1.35" 0.2"
October 60.3° 31.1° 1.35" 2.7"
November 46.7° 21.0° 0.58" 4.4"
December 36.4° 12.9° 0.46" 6.6"

Rainfall by month

Yellowstone County has a distinct wet season. 45% of the year's precipitation arrives in Apr, May, Jun.

January 0.45"
February 0.50"
March 0.80"
April 1.70"
May 2.61"
June 2.26"
July 1.53"
August 0.85"
September 1.35"
October 1.35"
November 0.58"
December 0.46"
Annual total 14.44"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 483
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 7,355
Approximate annual cooling cost At 14.67¢/kWh, Montana average $71
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $378

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Yellowstone County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Yellowstone County?

Yellowstone County averages a high of 87.1°F in July and a low of 11.8°F in January. Annual precipitation is 14.44 inches, including 34.4 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Yellowstone County?

The wettest stretch is Apr, May, Jun, which accounts for 45% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in Yellowstone County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 87.1°F. That drives 483 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Yellowstone County?

Yes. Yellowstone County averages 34.4 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station HUNTLEY EXP STN, MT US (USC00244345), 1.8 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Montana residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.