Sula, Montana
Census-designated place
French basin near Sula, 1939
French basin near Sula, 1939
Sula is located in Montana
Sula
Sula
Coordinates: 45°50′11″N 113°58′54″W / 45.83639°N 113.98167°W / 45.83639; -113.98167
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CountyRavalli
Area
[1]
 • Total3.31 sq mi (8.57 km2)
 • Land3.27 sq mi (8.47 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Elevation
[2]
4,422 ft (1,348 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total41
 • Density12.53/sq mi (4.84/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
59871
Area code406
FIPS code30-71800
GNIS feature ID2583854[2]

Sula is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ravalli County, Montana, United States.[2] It is named after the community of Sula, which it encompasses, and was established about 2010, prior to that year's census. The population of the CDP was 37 at the 2010 census.[3]

History

The area was originally called Ross's Hole from Alexander Ross, a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader who had traveled through the area in spring 1824. In 1889, settlers named the post office after Ursula (Sula for short) Thompson, purportedly the first non-Indian child born in Ross's Hole.[4]

Geography

Sula is located at 45°50′12″N 113°58′54″W / 45.83659°N 113.98175°W / 45.83659; -113.98175, along U.S. Route 93 in southern Ravalli County. It lies along the East Fork of the Bitterroot River at the west end of Ross' Hole, a wide valley surrounded by mountains. It is 35 miles (56 km) north along U.S. 93 to Hamilton, the county seat, and 58 miles (93 km) south over Lost Trail Pass to Salmon, Idaho.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km2), of which 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 1.09%, is water.[3]

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Sula has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[5]

Climate data for Sula 14 NE, Montana 1991–2020 normals: 5155ft (1571m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 51
(11) 		56
(13) 		70
(21) 		79
(26) 		90
(32) 		97
(36) 		101
(38) 		97
(36) 		96
(36) 		87
(31) 		67
(19) 		54
(12) 		101
(38)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 45.4
(7.4) 		49.7
(9.8) 		59.5
(15.3) 		70.6
(21.4) 		80.9
(27.2) 		88.1
(31.2) 		94.0
(34.4) 		92.5
(33.6) 		88.6
(31.4) 		75.1
(23.9) 		58.2
(14.6) 		41.9
(5.5) 		95.0
(35.0)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 31.5
(−0.3) 		35.5
(1.9) 		43.1
(6.2) 		50.4
(10.2) 		61.3
(16.3) 		70.0
(21.1) 		81.3
(27.4) 		80.7
(27.1) 		69.7
(20.9) 		54.2
(12.3) 		37.8
(3.2) 		28.8
(−1.8) 		53.7
(12.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 20.8
(−6.2) 		23.7
(−4.6) 		31.3
(−0.4) 		37.7
(3.2) 		46.4
(8.0) 		53.3
(11.8) 		60.7
(15.9) 		59.5
(15.3) 		50.9
(10.5) 		40.1
(4.5) 		27.9
(−2.3) 		19.4
(−7.0) 		39.3
(4.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 10.1
(−12.2) 		11.9
(−11.2) 		19.5
(−6.9) 		25.0
(−3.9) 		31.6
(−0.2) 		36.7
(2.6) 		40.1
(4.5) 		38.4
(3.6) 		32.2
(0.1) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		17.9
(−7.8) 		9.9
(−12.3) 		24.9
(−3.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −18.7
(−28.2) 		−15.8
(−26.6) 		−3.9
(−19.9) 		9.7
(−12.4) 		17.9
(−7.8) 		24.8
(−4.0) 		30.4
(−0.9) 		28.3
(−2.1) 		21.0
(−6.1) 		6.6
(−14.1) 		−5.5
(−20.8) 		−17.0
(−27.2) 		−24.7
(−31.5)
Record low °F (°C) −35
(−37) 		−39
(−39) 		−24
(−31) 		−2
(−19) 		12
(−11) 		21
(−6) 		26
(−3) 		22
(−6) 		16
(−9) 		−15
(−26) 		−21
(−29) 		−28
(−33) 		−39
(−39)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.52
(39) 		1.38
(35) 		1.73
(44) 		1.72
(44) 		2.57
(65) 		2.87
(73) 		1.27
(32) 		1.08
(27) 		1.62
(41) 		1.48
(38) 		1.77
(45) 		1.81
(46) 		20.82
(529)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 15.80
(40.1) 		17.00
(43.2) 		14.30
(36.3) 		6.30
(16.0) 		2.00
(5.1) 		0.90
(2.3) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.40
(1.0) 		2.40
(6.1) 		10.30
(26.2) 		19.00
(48.3) 		88.4
(224.6)
Source 1: NOAA[6]
Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins)[7]
Climate data for Sula 3 ENE, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, 1955-2020 extremes: 4475ft (1364m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 58
(14) 		67
(19) 		74
(23) 		83
(28) 		90
(32) 		95
(35) 		98
(37) 		100
(38) 		92
(33) 		89
(32) 		72
(22) 		59
(15) 		100
(38)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 49.5
(9.7) 		54.3
(12.4) 		64.9
(18.3) 		72.1
(22.3) 		80.5
(26.9) 		87.0
(30.6) 		93.0
(33.9) 		92.2
(33.4) 		87.1
(30.6) 		78.8
(26.0) 		61.0
(16.1) 		48.2
(9.0) 		92.3
(33.5)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 34.3
(1.3) 		39.2
(4.0) 		48.2
(9.0) 		55.0
(12.8) 		63.9
(17.7) 		71.9
(22.2) 		82.2
(27.9) 		81.3
(27.4) 		73.2
(22.9) 		58.2
(14.6) 		42.8
(6.0) 		32.7
(0.4) 		56.9
(13.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 23.6
(−4.7) 		26.8
(−2.9) 		35.0
(1.7) 		41.0
(5.0) 		48.6
(9.2) 		55.7
(13.2) 		62.5
(16.9) 		60.8
(16.0) 		53.5
(11.9) 		42.5
(5.8) 		31.4
(−0.3) 		22.2
(−5.4) 		42.0
(5.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 12.9
(−10.6) 		14.3
(−9.8) 		21.9
(−5.6) 		27.1
(−2.7) 		33.3
(0.7) 		39.6
(4.2) 		42.7
(5.9) 		40.3
(4.6) 		33.8
(1.0) 		26.8
(−2.9) 		20.0
(−6.7) 		11.8
(−11.2) 		27.0
(−2.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −13.0
(−25.0) 		−9.7
(−23.2) 		3.8
(−15.7) 		15.4
(−9.2) 		20.0
(−6.7) 		28.5
(−1.9) 		32.9
(0.5) 		29.4
(−1.4) 		20.8
(−6.2) 		10.9
(−11.7) 		−2.9
(−19.4) 		−11.0
(−23.9) 		−21.2
(−29.6)
Record low °F (°C) −43
(−42) 		−46
(−43) 		−24
(−31) 		3
(−16) 		10
(−12) 		20
(−7) 		21
(−6) 		14
(−10) 		10
(−12) 		−10
(−23) 		−30
(−34) 		−45
(−43) 		−46
(−43)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.72
(18) 		0.83
(21) 		1.04
(26) 		1.76
(45) 		2.06
(52) 		2.73
(69) 		1.19
(30) 		1.07
(27) 		1.25
(32) 		1.30
(33) 		1.28
(33) 		0.99
(25) 		16.22
(411)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.9
(15) 		3.2
(8.1) 		4.6
(12) 		1.4
(3.6) 		0.5
(1.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.4
(1.0) 		0.5
(1.3) 		4.2
(11) 		6.1
(15) 		26.8
(68.3)
Source 1: NOAA (Alder 17 S snowfall)[8][9]
Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins)[10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
202041—
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

References

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sula, Montana
  3. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Sula CDP, Montana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  4. ^ "Sula". Montana Place Names Companion. Montana Historical Society. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  5. ^ Climate Summary for Sula, Montana
  6. ^ "Sula 14 NE, Montana 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  7. ^ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Sula 3 ENE, Montana 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  9. ^ "Sula 3 ENE, Montana 1981-2010 Monthly Normals". Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  10. ^ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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