Where Does Montana Rank In The Top 10 Coldest States In America?
Turning over my planning calendar to September today got me thinking, it's going to be cold in Montana before too long. Time to bust out the summer clothes I planned to wear, but never got around to, take that walk I've been thinking about or just go sit on some grass.
But how cold is Montana, really? Turns out, compared to the rest of the United States, it's pretty cold. Sure, there are states that are colder than us, but only one of those states is by quite a margin.
Why Is Montana So Cold?
According to State Summaries, it really depends on the part of the state that you live in.
Naturally, if you live in or near the mountains, it's going to be a little colder than if you live over in Eastern Montana. Whenever I lived in Billings, the difference in temperatures between even just Billings and Great Falls was surprising. They also get less snow. Not a lot less, but it's less.
The reason is the Central and Eastern part of the state is a part of the Northern Great Plains. The temperature difference between the plains and mountains can be 10-15 degrees. Altitude also plays a part in how hot or cold your area gets.
One Statistic Was A Bit Surprising
Montana's winters are getting warmer. Again, from State Summaries,
Temperatures in Montana have risen almost 2.5°F since the beginning of the 20th century, higher than the warming for the contiguous United States as a whole. The first 21 years of this century represent the warmest period on record for Montana
Validating the "When I was a kid, it seemed colder" that I hear from friends and families a lot during the winter.
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