Montana Climate
Top 5 Cities: Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, and Butte
This month in numbers
Montana experienced its 4th warmest February–April on record, with an average temperature of 2.74°C, a significant 3.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures for the same period also ranked exceptionally high, coming in as the 3rd warmest on record at 9.65°C, a striking 3.8°C above average. April 2026 itself was slightly warmer than average, ranking 32nd warmest with an average temperature of 5.11°C, which is 0.3°C above the baseline.
What changed
This recent warm spell for Montana stands in contrast to the national picture for April, where the US as a whole saw a larger temperature anomaly of +1.9°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, indicating that Montana's warmth, while significant locally, was part of a broader trend of elevated global temperatures. The state's average temperature for the past 12 months is 2.64°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, placing it 23rd warmest out of 234 regions worldwide.
What’s driving change?
Montana's persistent warmth is influenced by , with winters warming faster than summers at high latitudes. The region is also currently experiencing significant drought conditions, with approximately 60% of Montana under active drought as of May 12, 2026, and an additional 28% classified as abnormally dry. This contributes to warmer temperatures as the ground cannot cool itself through evaporation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated ten Montana counties as primary natural disaster areas due to severe or extreme drought, making farm operators eligible for emergency loan assistance. This has also contributed to an active start to the wildfire season, with three wildfire events recorded in May, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. You can track these and other extreme weather events at Extreme Weather tracker. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but El Niño is strongly forecast to develop in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May-Jul and a 98% chance for Aug-Oct. Historically, El Niño typically brings warmer, drier winters to the Pacific Northwest USA and Western Canada, which could exacerbate drought and wildfire risks in Montana. More information on ENSO can be found at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The seasonal outlook for Montana indicates a better chance for warmer than normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation across much of the state through spring and early summer.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Montana
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Montana changing?
Montana is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Montana come from?
Climate data for Montana comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Montana climate data cover?
The Montana climate profile covers Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman and surrounding areas. Montana climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Montana climate update refreshed?
The Montana climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.