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Will it freeze in Columbia Falls in the next 7 nights?
The earliest overnight low at or below 32°F in the available NWS frost forecast is Tonight: 31°F (Thu, Nov 5, 6:00 PM MST to Fri, Nov 6, 6:00 AM MST).
Tonight: forecast low 31°F. Freeze.
NWS forecast period: Thu, Nov 5, 6:00 PM MST to Fri, Nov 6, 6:00 AM MST.
7 of the next 7 nights are forecast at 36°F or colder, cold enough for frost on exposed plants.
- Tonight 31°F Freeze · Slight Chance Light Rain
- Fri, Nov 6 34°F Frost possible · Mostly Cloudy
- Sat, Nov 7 35°F Frost possible · Partly Cloudy
- Sun, Nov 8 31°F Freeze · Slight Chance Light Rain then Patchy Fog
- Mon, Nov 9 33°F Frost possible · Mostly Cloudy then Patchy Fog
- Tue, Nov 10 36°F Frost possible · Chance Light Rain
- Wed, Nov 11 36°F Frost possible · Slight Chance Light Rain then Mostly Cloudy
Overnight lows from the National Weather Service forecast for this location. This covers the available forecast window, not the first freeze of the whole season. Frost can form above 32°F on clear, calm nights.
Frost and freeze probabilities
Freeze dates shift from year to year. Spring percentages describe the chance of a freeze after the stated date; fall percentages describe the chance of a freeze by that date. The 10% spring date is the cautious one: a later freeze happens about 1 year in 10.
These dates describe historical probabilities, not this year’s forecast or the earliest and latest possible freezes. Different weather stations or probability thresholds can produce different published dates for the same city.
Average first hard freeze in Columbia Falls
The median first fall hard-freeze date (28°F) is September 27, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals at Kalispell Glacier Airport. This is the 50% probability date, not a forecast for this year.
| Temperature | Last spring date 90% · 50% · 10% chance of a later freeze | First fall date 10% · 50% · 90% chance of an earlier freeze | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F frost possible | rare in most years | rare in most years | 60 days |
| 32°F freeze | May 13 · May 31 · Jun 22 | Aug 26 · Sep 10 · Sep 25 | 100 days |
| 28°F hard freeze | Apr 28 · May 10 · May 26 | Sep 9 · Sep 27 · Oct 7 | 136 days |
Average high temperature by month
1991–2020 normals at Kalispell Glacier Airport
Average low temperature by month
Months with lows near or below freezing carry frost risk
Where these frost dates come from
The frost dates for Columbia Falls, MT come from the nearest weather station with freeze statistics in NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals: Kalispell Glacier Airport (station USC00244558, elevation 2,957 ft), 5.7 mi from Columbia Falls. Local conditions (valleys, hilltops, distance to water, city heat) can shift frost dates by days or weeks. The hardiness zone is from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA ARS and Oregon State University PRISM). See our methodology.
Frost dates near Columbia Falls
| City | Distance | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish, MT | 8.7 mi | May 16 | Sep 25 |
| Kalispell, MT | 12 mi | May 31 | Sep 10 |
| Polson, MT | 47 mi | May 10 | Oct 5 |
| Missoula, MT | 104 mi | May 10 | Oct 1 |
| Sandpoint, ID | 109 mi | May 8 | Sep 28 |
| Hayden, ID | 127 mi | Apr 22 | Oct 18 |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 129 mi | Apr 22 | Oct 18 |
| Rathdrum, ID | 131 mi | Apr 22 | Oct 18 |
| Post Falls, ID | 135 mi | Apr 22 | Oct 18 |
| Liberty Lake, WA | 143 mi | Apr 26 | Oct 15 |
Frequently asked questions
When is the last frost in Columbia Falls?
On average, the last spring frost (32°F) in Columbia Falls is around May 31. In about 1 year in 10 it comes after June 22, and in 9 years in 10 it comes after May 13.
When is the first frost in Columbia Falls?
The first fall frost (32°F) usually arrives around September 10. There’s a 10% chance of a freeze by August 26 and a 90% chance by September 25.
What growing zone is Columbia Falls?
Columbia Falls is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a (average annual extreme minimum temperature −20 to −15°F), based on the 2023 USDA map for ZIP code 59912. See growing zones in Montana.
More: all Montana frost dates · Montana growing zones · frost vs. freeze