Your nature year
Kalispell, Montanathrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Kalispell?
At NOAA's Kalispell Glacier Airport station, 6.7 miles away, the average first fall frost is Sep 10 and the last spring frost May 31, which leaves Kalispell some 102 growing days. The USA-NPN spring index puts first leaf here around Apr 19 and first bloom around May 21.
About 5 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. We follow 3 places within 150 miles of Kalispell; the nearest lies 26 miles to the northeast. For a day trip, Glacier is 26 miles off; its fall foliage is by mid-September, and the western larch by mid-October (local timing). Glacier (26 mi) is the pick for wildflowers, between mid-June and mid-August (local timing).
Checked against 3 official sources · How we check →
Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Near Kalispell right now
- Last spring frost usually around May 31 · first fall frost around Sep 10NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Kalispell Glacier Airport (6.7 mi, 50% dates)~8 months
- In season nearby: Fall foliage2 places in their usual window now, listed belowIn season
- Fall & winter wildlife · next season nearby · 101 miLocal timing: early November~4 weeks
Places near Kalispell
Fall color in MontanaNational park
26 mi · Also: Wildflowers · Local timing: between mid-June and mid-August
Season: Sep–OctNational Park Service ↗
Fall duck migration in IdahoWildlife refuge
101 mi
Most numerous: Early NovemberU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
Kalispell's nature year
| Month | What to see | Where |
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Kalispell's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~May 31 to ~Sep 10
- First leaf ~Apr 19
- First bloom ~May 21
- Today
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
May 31
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Sep 10
About 102 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 19
First bloom around May 21
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Kalispell Glacier Airport (6.7 mi from Kalispell), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Snow in Kalispell
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 2 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Kalispell Glacier Airport (6.7 mi away): 54 inches of snow in an average year, about 19.6 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Kalispell?
On average around Sep 10, and the last spring frost around May 31: about 102 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Kalispell Glacier Airport, 6.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Kalispell?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 19 and first bloom around May 21, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Kalispell?
The nearest are Glacier (26 miles) and Lost Horse Canyon (144 miles). Glacier: local timing: by mid-September, and the western larch by mid-October. Lost Horse Canyon: regional timing: October. Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Kalispell?
The nearest is Glacier (26 miles). Glacier: local timing: between mid-June and mid-August. Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Kalispell?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 2. That date is our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Kalispell Glacier Airport. An average year brings 54 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27)