Billings climate
Billings (Montana, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C50 °F, and about 428 mm17 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Billings climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 338 | −720 | −229 | 160.6 | 30 |
| Feb | 439 | −720 | −130 | 190.7 | 27 |
| Mar | 1050 | −327 | 439 | 251.0 | 25 |
| Apr | 1559 | 235 | 847 | 481.9 | 14 |
| May | 2169 | 745 | 1457 | 783.1 | 2 |
| Jun | 2780 | 1254 | 2067 | 652.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 3391 | 1763 | 2577 | 321.3 | 0 |
| Aug | 3188 | 1660 | 2374 | 331.3 | 0 |
| Sep | 2476 | 1050 | 1763 | 371.4 | 0 |
| Oct | 1560 | 337 | 948 | 411.6 | 9 |
| Nov | 847 | −228 | 337 | 180.7 | 23 |
| Dec | 337 | −621 | −229 | 180.7 | 29 |
| Year | 3391 | −720 | 1050 | 42817 | 159 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72% | 72% | 1.8 | 9:03 |
| Feb | 68% | 74% | 2.8 | 10:18 |
| Mar | 63% | 73% | 3.8 | 11:46 |
| Apr | 58% | 71% | 4.7 | 13:28 |
| May | 57% | 69% | 5.7 | 14:54 |
| Jun | 54% | 57% | 6.7 | 15:42 |
| Jul | 45% | 43% | 7.1 | 15:22 |
| Aug | 44% | 47% | 6.0 | 14:07 |
| Sep | 50% | 49% | 4.6 | 12:28 |
| Oct | 60% | 63% | 2.9 | 10:50 |
| Nov | 65% | 67% | 1.9 | 9:24 |
| Dec | 71% | 72% | 1.4 | 8:41 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Billings is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C91 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 3 °C37 °F and lows −6 °C21 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 27 °C48.6 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 428 mm17 in. The wettest three-month stretch is April–June, which brings 44% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–February. The wettest month is May (78 mm3.1 in), the driest is January (16 mm0.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 44% in August to 72% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 43%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in July to 13 km/h (8 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in November–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Billings
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and September: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 27 °C80 °F with 37 mm1.4 in to 78 mm3.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is cold, with average highs of 3 °C37 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Billings
- Winter (December–February) — highs 337 to 4 °C39 °F, lows −720 to −6 °C21 °F, about 17 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1050 to 21 °C69 °F, lows −327 to 7 °C45 °F, about 50 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2780 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1254 to 17 °C63 °F, about 43 mm1.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 847 to 24 °C76 °F, lows −228 to 10 °C50 °F, about 32 mm1.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Billings compares
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Billings is the 198th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 182nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Kelowna (Canada, Dfa), Stavropol (Russia, Dfa) and Pyatigorsk (Russia, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Pocatello 451 km · 9 °C49 °F · 411 mm16 in
- Lethbridge 542 km · 7 °C44 °F · 492 mm19 in
- Regina 593 km · 4 °C40 °F · 418 mm16 in
- Salt Lake City 622 km · 11 °C52 °F · 543 mm21 in
- West Valley City 633 km · 12 °C54 °F · 542 mm21 in
- West Jordan 639 km · 12 °C54 °F · 542 mm21 in
- Fort Collins 641 km · 12 °C53 °F · 450 mm18 in
- Boise 655 km · 12 °C54 °F · 389 mm15 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Billings?
July is the warmest month in Billings, with an average high of 33 °C (91 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Billings?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 3 °C (37 °F) and an average low of -6 °C (21 °F).
When does it rain the most in Billings?
May is the wettest month with about 78 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 16 mm (0.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Billings?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June and September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,152 m, while Billings lies at about 952 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.3 °C2.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.