Montana’s Coldest December on Record: Could This Year Join the List?

December in Montana, you can always count on a few things. It will be cold, and there will be snow. Now the question is how cold, and how much snow will we see this year? 

According to the forecasts from the Old Farmer's Almanac and  there is a good chance we will see some below-normal temperatures for us this winter. 

READ MORE: Farmer's Almanac Montana Winter Forecast 2025

Montana’s November weather was overall mild across most of the state. Golf courses were open until almost the end of the month.

Historic Cold Snaps Across Montana 

We have had some very cold Decembers in our history. According to NOAA, the coldest Decembers in Montana’s history, dating back to 1895, show our coldest December was in 1983, when the average temperature for the month was 3.4°F.

READ MORE: Montana’s Weather History: The Story Behind The Largest Snowflake Ever Recorded 

Those were the days when kids would wear their Moon Boots to school. It was also about the time that I took ski lessons at Marshall Mountain. My family couldn’t afford ski pants for me. So I had to learn to ski in jeans. The jeans would eventually get wet and freeze as we walked home from the shuttle bus. We didn’t have the best time at Marshall Mountain in the 1980s like the Beastie Boys did.  

READ MORE: They Came, They Broke Stuff, They Skied – See the Time Beastie Boys Came to Missoula

I experienced four out of the ten coldest Decembers on record. If some of the forecasts happen, we could experience a colder-than-normal December which may make this list one day.  

Get our free mobile app

Please see below for the top ten coldest Montana Decembers on record.  

Top Ten Coldest Montana Decembers