Hot Springs, Montana Weather
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Hot Springs weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Overcast20%—70°56°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast——72°50°+2°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——61°44°-11°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle14%0.01″58°39°-3°
- MondayJun 8Overcast——70°39°+12°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast38%—72°50°+2°
- WednesdayJun 10Overcast46%—78°53°+6°
Ozone at AQI 43 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. AQI up 13 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 43 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 43
- UV peak
- 4.0 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 43
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
- 6:39 AM
- Moonset
- 3:17 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks
Hot Springs at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 3°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: June 1 (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.
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
Hot Springs's warmest month is July (~67°F mean) and its coldest is January (~26°F). Rainfall peaks in June (2.4 inches) and bottoms out in February (0.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| February | 29° | 0.8″ | 3 |
| March | 37° | 1.0″ | 4 |
| April | 44° | 1.5″ | 5 |
| May | 53° | 2.0″ | 6 |
| June | 59° | 2.4″ | 6 |
| July | 67° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| August | 67° | 0.9″ | 3 |
| September | 57° | 1.1″ | 3 |
| October | 44° | 1.5″ | 5 |
| November | 33° | 1.2″ | 4 |
| December | 27° | 1.2″ | 4 |
Regional context
Hot Springs's climate, per the NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals from the nearest reporting station, runs cold-winter and warm-summer. January means hover near 26°F while July climbs to 67°F — a 41°F seasonal swing typical of northern-tier latitudes. Annual precipitation totals about 15.7 inches spread across roughly 49 days with measurable rain or snow.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: June averages 2.4 inches across 6.4 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while February drops to just 0.8 inches across 3.2 rainy days under drier cool-season air. The warm-season-wet rhythm lines Hot Springs up with places like Camas, MT, Lonepine, MT and Plains, 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 Hot Springs 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: Camas, MT, Lonepine, MT, Plains, MT, Niarada, MT, Paradise, MT.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Hot Springs?
- Hot Springs's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Hot Springs?
- June is the wettest month with about 2.4 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 16 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Hot Springs?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 67°F.
- What is the coldest month in Hot Springs?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 26°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Hot Springs?
- 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 Hot Springs get?
- Hot Springs averages about 49 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Hot Springs?
- Hot Springs'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
Hot Springs, Montana sits in a cold semi-arid climate zone. January means hover near 26°F while July averages 67°F — a 41°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Hot Springs receives about 16 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 49 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (47.6°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.