Wisdom, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wisdom, Montana
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Wisdom in April 1942
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Location of Wisdom, Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Beaverhead |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.02 sq mi (2.63 km2) |
| • Land | 1.01 sq mi (2.61 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,050 ft (1,840 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 104 |
| • Density | 103.17/sq mi (39.84/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59761
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-81250 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0793432 |
Wisdom is a small community in Beaverhead County, Montana, United States. It is known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area defined by the government for counting people. In 2020, about 104 people lived there. The area's ZIP Code is 59761.
Wisdom has a few important places for its residents and visitors. These include places to stay for tourists, a gas station, a grocery store, a school for younger kids (kindergarten through 8th grade), a post office, and a Forest Service office.
Contents
History of Wisdom
Wisdom got its name from a nearby river, which was once called the Wisdom River. Today, that river is known as the Big Hole River. This river flows right through the town. The first post office in Wisdom opened its doors way back in 1884.
Geography and Location
Wisdom is located at 45°36′58″N 113°26′59″W / 45.61611°N 113.44972°W. It covers a total area of about 2.56 square kilometers (about 1 square mile). Most of this area is land, with a very small part being water.
The town sits at an average height of about 1,903 meters (6,245 feet) above sea level. That's pretty high up! Wisdom is also found along Montana Highway 43. You can find Tweedy Mountain and West Goat Peak nearby.
Understanding Wisdom's Climate
Wisdom has a special kind of weather called a subalpine climate. This means it has very long, cold, and dry winters. Summers are short, with warm afternoons but very cold and clear mornings.
It's one of the coldest places in the United States when it comes to how often it freezes. More than 277 mornings each year have temperatures below freezing! Only the month of July is usually completely free of frost.
During very cold periods, Wisdom's location in a valley can make temperatures drop extremely low. For example, on December 23, 1983, the temperature reached a super cold -55 degrees Fahrenheit (-48 degrees Celsius). Even though it gets very cold, the amount of snow isn't huge because there isn't much precipitation in winter.
Spring usually brings more rain, but the valley location means that most moisture doesn't reach Wisdom. Even though summer days can be warm, nights are often chilly, and it can even freeze.
| Climate data for Wisdom, Montana 1991–2020 normals, 1923-2020 extremes: 6060ft (1847m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
57 (14) |
68 (20) |
80 (27) |
89 (32) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
90 (32) |
81 (27) |
66 (19) |
58 (14) |
98 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 43.3 (6.3) |
45.0 (7.2) |
53.4 (11.9) |
66.8 (19.3) |
75.5 (24.2) |
82.8 (28.2) |
88.8 (31.6) |
87.7 (30.9) |
82.7 (28.2) |
71.8 (22.1) |
55.3 (12.9) |
43.1 (6.2) |
89.9 (32.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 26.3 (−3.2) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
38.9 (3.8) |
48.8 (9.3) |
59.2 (15.1) |
67.4 (19.7) |
78.1 (25.6) |
77.3 (25.2) |
67.8 (19.9) |
53.1 (11.7) |
35.9 (2.2) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
50.6 (10.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 14.7 (−9.6) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
34.9 (1.6) |
43.8 (6.6) |
51.4 (10.8) |
57.8 (14.3) |
55.6 (13.1) |
47.8 (8.8) |
37.0 (2.8) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
14.1 (−9.9) |
35.2 (1.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 3.1 (−16.1) |
3.0 (−16.1) |
12.4 (−10.9) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
35.4 (1.9) |
37.6 (3.1) |
33.9 (1.1) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
10.5 (−11.9) |
2.9 (−16.2) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −27.8 (−33.2) |
−26.5 (−32.5) |
−10.4 (−23.6) |
5.3 (−14.8) |
15.1 (−9.4) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
14.2 (−9.9) |
2.6 (−16.3) |
−12.9 (−24.9) |
−23.4 (−30.8) |
−35.7 (−37.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −52 (−47) |
−52 (−47) |
−35 (−37) |
−20 (−29) |
6 (−14) |
16 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
11 (−12) |
1 (−17) |
−23 (−31) |
−34 (−37) |
−55 (−48) |
−55 (−48) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.59 (15) |
0.59 (15) |
0.77 (20) |
1.12 (28) |
1.75 (44) |
2.12 (54) |
1.20 (30) |
0.79 (20) |
1.09 (28) |
0.84 (21) |
0.77 (20) |
0.67 (17) |
12.3 (312) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.0 (23) |
10.4 (26) |
8.0 (20) |
5.3 (13) |
2.7 (6.9) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.8 (2.0) |
1.5 (3.8) |
8.5 (22) |
10.0 (25) |
57.4 (144.7) |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (1999-2020 snowfall, records & monthly max/mins) | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Wisdom, Montana (1971–2000; extremes since 1923) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
55 (13) |
68 (20) |
80 (27) |
85 (29) |
91 (33) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
89 (32) |
81 (27) |
66 (19) |
53 (12) |
98 (37) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.6 (−2.4) |
32.6 (0.3) |
40.8 (4.9) |
50.7 (10.4) |
60.6 (15.9) |
69.9 (21.1) |
78.6 (25.9) |
78.2 (25.7) |
68.0 (20.0) |
55.7 (13.2) |
37.5 (3.1) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
52.7 (11.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 0.4 (−17.6) |
2.5 (−16.4) |
11.9 (−11.2) |
20.4 (−6.4) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
35.0 (1.7) |
36.6 (2.6) |
33.9 (1.1) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
10.8 (−11.8) |
1.4 (−17.0) |
18.9 (−7.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −52 (−47) |
−52 (−47) |
−35 (−37) |
−20 (−29) |
8 (−13) |
19 (−7) |
20 (−7) |
11 (−12) |
1 (−17) |
−23 (−31) |
−34 (−37) |
−55 (−48) |
−55 (−48) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.62 (16) |
0.51 (13) |
0.67 (17) |
0.98 (25) |
1.70 (43) |
1.78 (45) |
1.28 (33) |
1.12 (28) |
0.99 (25) |
0.74 (19) |
0.81 (21) |
0.70 (18) |
11.9 (303) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.1 (13) |
9.8 (25) |
9.7 (25) |
3.4 (8.6) |
1.0 (2.5) |
trace | 0.0 (0.0) |
trace | 0.2 (0.51) |
0.4 (1.0) |
6.7 (17) |
6.0 (15) |
42.3 (107) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 9.5 | 8.1 | 10.3 | 10.8 | 13.0 | 11.9 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 10.6 | 10.3 | 115.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 12.3 |
| Source 1: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service, Great Falls, MT | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 114 | — | |
| 2010 | 98 | −14.0% | |
| 2020 | 104 | 6.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The number of people living in Wisdom has changed a bit over the years.
- In 2000, there were 114 people.
- By 2010, the population was 98.
- In the most recent count in 2020, the population grew slightly to 104 people.
Education in Wisdom
Wisdom has its own school that teaches students from kindergarten all the way through 8th grade. In 2021, there were 7 students enrolled in the school.
Images for kids
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The "Trading Post" store in Wisdom, Montana
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Church of the Big Hole in Wisdom
See also
In Spanish: Wisdom (Montana) para niños
