October is the ultimate month for color, and late December is winter white with the lights of town at Christmas. January and February are the coldest months - where you need gloves and hats and a warmer coat. Unlike other places, it's never so cold that you can't get around or can't breathe. There is little wind here which makes a big difference. The mountains shelter the Valley below.
Gardening is a popular hobby in the Bitterroot Valley.
The flowers are beautiful and the vegetable gardens abundant. Vegetable gardens are usually started by May, with harvest in August and September. Most gardeners are nurturing tomatoes, broccoli, beans, peas, strawberries, raspberries, and root crops like potatoes, carrots, and onions. Melons and corn do well if they are short season varieties. There is a local farmers market in Hamilton every Saturday through the season for those who want to buy fresh from the locals.