How Late in the Year Has Montana Had Snow?

It's the second week of April, and most of Montana is seeing snow again. It's kind of redundant at this point, and I know I'm getting tired of it. But a question popped into my head earlier today; is this the latest snowfall Montana has ever had? Well, no. I remember snow in early May one year in Bozeman while I was traveling. And, some of you out there joke that Montana gets snow every month of the year. But, in digging further, I found that other places in Montana have had snow even later than that.

Montana Generally Averages Late Snowfall in April

For most Montanans, they stop seeing snow for the season between the dates of April 22nd and May 5th according to the Global Historical Climatology Network. Of course, in the higher elevations, such as Great Falls, they can usually get snow as late as the middle of May.

Across the United States, that's pretty late, with only Wyoming, Colorado, and New Hampshire having snowfall that late. However, that's only measurable snowfall. These maps don't count just snow falling but melting upon hitting the ground.

Montana Had Tons of Snowfall in August of 1992

In August of 1992, a storm developed over Western Montana that dumped as much as 8 inches of snow on Great Falls, Cutbank, and Browning. Normally, most of the snow that falls at that time of year is in Glacier National Park or in much higher elevations. The National Weather Service even called it "unprecedented."

Some other really late snowfalls in Montana include Butte, which got several inches of snow on July 2, 1921. Luckily, it seems like the weather warmed up enough to still hold their Fourth of July parade.

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These are the latest dates I could find that saw measurable snow in Montana. Have you seen snow later in the year? Let me know by clicking the button below.

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