Lockwood, Montana Weather
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Lockwood weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Overcast——76°51°—
- ThursdayJun 4Overcast19%—75°55°-1°
- FridayJun 5Clear——88°54°+13°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——99°61°+11°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle20%—72°59°-27°
- MondayJun 8Drizzle16%0.02″81°49°+9°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Drizzle20%0.02″80°57°-1°
Ozone at AQI 49 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. AQI up 8 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 49 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 49
- UV peak
- 2.4 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 49
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 6.6 µg/m³ (AQI 37) with a 0.73 fine-to-coarse ratio and 6 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.73
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 5:32 AM
- Moonset
- 1:51 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks
Lockwood at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 7°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 21 (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 3, 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 — Lockwood
SPC has placed Lockwood in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWMRGLMarginal Risk
- DAY 3NONENo severe risk
Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.
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
Lockwood's warmest month is July (~71°F mean) and its coldest is January (~25°F). Rainfall peaks in May (2.5 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.6 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 0.6″ | 2 |
| February | 29° | 0.6″ | 2 |
| March | 38° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| April | 46° | 1.9″ | 5 |
| May | 55° | 2.5″ | 6 |
| June | 64° | 2.5″ | 6 |
| July | 71° | 1.3″ | 3 |
| August | 70° | 0.8″ | 2 |
| September | 60° | 1.5″ | 4 |
| October | 47° | 1.6″ | 4 |
| November | 35° | 0.7″ | 2 |
| December | 26° | 0.6″ | 2 |
Regional context
Lockwood's climate, per the NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals from the nearest reporting station, runs cold-winter and warm-summer. January means hover near 25°F while July climbs to 71°F — a 46°F seasonal swing typical of northern-tier latitudes. Annual precipitation totals about 15.4 inches spread across roughly 41 days with measurable rain or snow.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: May averages 2.5 inches across 6.0 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while January drops to just 0.6 inches across 2.0 rainy days under drier cool-season air. That summer-storm-driven distribution puts Lockwood in a cohort with places like Billings, MT, Huntley, MT and Shepherd, MT, all of which depend on warm-season convective activity for the bulk of their annual moisture.
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. Warm-soil crops — tomatoes, peppers, eggplant — wait until soil temperatures reach the mid-50s°F, usually two weeks past the last-frost date. The window closes around early-October, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. The dates above are 1991-2020 normals; in a given year either bookend can move 1-2 weeks either direction. Within Lockwood, low-lying parcels along drainage features typically lose 4-7°F of overnight low temperature versus the bench positions on calm clear nights, which shifts the working last-frost date by a week or more.
Similar climates: Billings, MT, Huntley, MT, Shepherd, MT, Acton, MT, Worden, MT.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Lockwood?
- Lockwood's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Lockwood?
- May is the wettest month with about 2.5 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 15 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Lockwood?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 71°F.
- What is the coldest month in Lockwood?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 25°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Lockwood?
- 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 Lockwood get?
- Lockwood averages about 41 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Lockwood?
- Lockwood'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
Lockwood, Montana sits in a cold semi-arid climate zone. January means hover near 25°F while July averages 71°F — a 46°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Lockwood receives about 15 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 41 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (45.8°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.