Livingston, Montana Weather
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Livingston weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Overcast——74°53°—
- FridayJun 5Partly Cloudy——84°50°+10°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast15%—84°54°0°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle56%0.01″71°46°-13°
- MondayJun 8Overcast25%—72°44°+1°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast31%—73°55°+1°
- WednesdayJun 10Overcast70%—79°50°+6°
Ozone at AQI 56 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. AQI up 14 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). Levels should ease through evening.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 56 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 56
- UV peak
- 2.6 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- partly cloudy
- Projected peak
- AQI 56
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5/PM10 ratio 0.57 with 13 mph wind — characteristic of long-range haze transport rather than a local source.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.57
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- transport
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 6:13 AM
- Moonset
- 3:08 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks
Livingston at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 20 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Warm-season window is open
As of June 4, the last spring frost has passed for most years. Transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, and cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, melons) now. Direct-sow beans and corn into warm soil.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Livingston
SPC has placed Livingston in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | — | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | — | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Livingston's warmest month is July (~68°F mean) and its coldest is December (~28°F). Rainfall peaks in May (2.7 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.4 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 0.4″ | 2 |
| February | 29° | 0.5″ | 2 |
| March | 36° | 0.8″ | 3 |
| April | 42° | 1.7″ | 6 |
| May | 51° | 2.7″ | 7 |
| June | 59° | 2.4″ | 7 |
| July | 68° | 1.3″ | 3 |
| August | 67° | 1.1″ | 3 |
| September | 57° | 1.2″ | 4 |
| October | 46° | 1.4″ | 4 |
| November | 35° | 0.6″ | 2 |
| December | 28° | 0.5″ | 1 |
Regional context
Livingston's climate, per the NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals from the nearest reporting station, runs cold-winter and warm-summer. January means hover near 28°F while July climbs to 68°F — a 40°F seasonal swing typical of northern-tier latitudes. Annual precipitation totals about 14.6 inches spread across roughly 42 days with measurable rain or snow.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: May averages 2.7 inches across 6.8 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while January drops to just 0.4 inches across 1.5 rainy days under drier cool-season air. The warm-season-wet rhythm lines Livingston up with places like Wineglass, MT, Pine Creek, MT and Clyde Park, MT, where the May-September stretch delivers the bulk of the year's precipitation.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around late-May, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Heat-loving transplants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash generally hold off for another 10-14 days to clear the last spring frost risk window. The window closes around early-October, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. Those dates are 30-year averages; the actual frost-free window in a given year can vary by 10-14 days at either end. Neighborhood-scale variation in elevation and cold-air pooling means the practical last-frost date inside Livingston can lag the regional mean by 5-10 days in low spots, and a bench position with good cold-air drainage can run a week ahead.
Similar climates: Wineglass, MT, Pine Creek, MT, Clyde Park, MT, Springdale, MT, Pray, MT.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Livingston?
- Livingston's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Livingston?
- May is the wettest month with about 2.7 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 15 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Livingston?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 68°F.
- What is the coldest month in Livingston?
- December is typically coldest, averaging about 28°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Livingston?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-May); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Livingston get?
- Livingston averages about 42 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Livingston?
- Livingston's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Livingston, Montana sits in a cold semi-arid climate zone. January means hover near 28°F while July averages 68°F — a 40°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Livingston receives about 15 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 42 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (45.7°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.