West Yellowstone, MT: Coldest Town on US-20 and Winter Road Closures in Yellowstone National Park

(Satellite)

US-20 Overview

Exploring Historic Route 20 posted

West Yellowstone, Montana is COLD!   Yes, it is one of the coldest communities in the lower 48 and the coldest climate community location along US Route 20. (Inside Yellowstone NP is colder).  For east coast friends, Mount Washington, NH has the same climate.  The photo looks like mid-winter to many, but it was likely taken in the spring.

West Yellowstone, Montana features a subalpine climate with long, very cold and snowy winters, with short mild summers Annual snowfall is around 166".  The record high has reached 99°F while the coldest is -66° F.   

With this said, West Yellowstone is a vibrant, western community with an active downtown.  It is designed to attract tourists with many shops, great restaurant's, museums and outdoor activities.    Daily winter tours into YNP depart through March.

Places we love:   Museum of the Yellowstone , Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center , @morningglorycoffee  , The Buffalo Bar and their Pot Roast Sandwich,  Eagles Store.  

@destinationyellowstone 

166" of snow = 13.8' = 14.2m

In terms of  a tourist stop, I didn't find any fudge shops. But I did find Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream. And there are a lot of gift shops in that town.

 

The town has a lot of rustic motels. It even has the previous generation of roadside lodging that consisted of cabins.

Street View, Apr 2018

And it has a museum.

MuseumOfTheYellowstone

And it has a couple of snowblowers.

Street View, Aug 2024

Street View, Apr 2018

But the snowblowers can't keep up with mother nature. When I was trying to figure out were US-20 was east of West Yellowstone, I noticed that the roads in Yellowstone National park are closed. US-20 shares the US-191 route until it gets to Yellowstone Lake. Then it shares US-14 to the east all the way to Greybull, WY.

Satellite, accessed Feb 2026

The earliest any of the roads open is Mar 15. Some stay closed until May. I guess you get to West Yellowstone using US-191 from I-90 in the Winter.

Satellite

I remember when I studied the new bridge for US-212 over Yellowstone River that the route was important because it is the only road in Yellowstone National Park that is plowed during the Winter.