Alma has a subarctic climate, or what could be called a subalpine climate due to its elevation, with only two months above the 50° isotherm. Alma is the coldest inhabited town in the Lower 48. Summer days are pleasant, with mild days and chilly nights and have no real growing season due to frosts and even sometimes snowfall occurring during summer. The wettest months are July and August due to thunderstorm activity. Spring and Autumn are both short, but calm overall with cool days and cold nights below freezing. Winters are very cold and snowy, lasting from the end of October to well into April some years. Winter highs are almost always below freezing and lows remaining around zero for 1/3 of the year. Alma's snowpack is usually established during October or very early November and lasts into June most years due to heavy snowfall and low night temperatures allowing the snowpack to keep re-freezing overnight. Alma's high elevation and location helps to limit both extreme minima and maxima.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 179 people, 94 households, and 40 families residing in the town. The population density was 523.6 people per square mile. There were 147 housing units at an average density of 430.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 92.74% White, 2.23% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 3.35% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.35% of the population. There were 94 households, of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 2.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.4% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.90 and the average family size was 2.63. The age distribution was 12.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 53.1% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 132.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 140.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,563, and the median income for a family was $59,688. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $26,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,165. None of the families and 4.3% of the population were living below the poverty line.
Mines
Approximately two miles from Alma are the remains of the defunct Orphan Boy mine, which produced gold, silver, lead, and zinc over a number of decades. The historic Sweet Home Mine near Alma, formerly a silver mine, now produces spectacular rhodochrosite mineral specimens.
