Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in Montana.
The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.
So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in Montana. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 6 places in Montana over 21,000 people.
Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in Montana.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
What city has the best weather in Montana, with more than 21,000 people? The city with the best weather in Montana is Billings with 49.3 sunny days and an average high of 61.5 degrees.
Read on below to see where your city ranked.
And if you already knew these places were beautiful, check out the best places to live in Montana or the cheapest places in Montana.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In Montana For 2024
Population: 108,134
Average Annual High: 61.5 degrees
Average Annual Low: 34.1 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 49.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 13.8 inches
Sunny Days: 326.2 days
More on Billings: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 29,600
Average Annual High: 56.9 degrees
Average Annual Low: 31.9 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 35.4 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 12.9 inches
Sunny Days: 332.2 days
More on Helena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 59,563
Average Annual High: 58.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 33.2 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 61.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 14.2 inches
Sunny Days: 325.5 days
More on Great Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 69,190
Average Annual High: 57.0 degrees
Average Annual Low: 32.7 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 42.7 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 15.6 inches
Sunny Days: 314.3 days
More on Missoula: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 21,142
Average Annual High: 55.4 degrees
Average Annual Low: 32.6 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 55.8 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 15.8 inches
Sunny Days: 310.9 days
More on Kalispell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 40,319
Average Annual High: 57.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 30.8 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 71.8 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 17.8 inches
Sunny Days: 312.7 days
More on Bozeman: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In Montana With The Best Weather
To rank the most fair weather cities in Montana, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Treasure State get the best weather.
We used the following criteria to find the best weather:
- Number of sunny days
- Highest average low
- Average high deviation from 70 degrees
- Least amount of rain
- Least amount of snow
We ranked each city of over 21,000 people in Montana from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, Billings, was anointed the city with the best weather in Montana.
Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities:
- Billings — 13.8 inches
- Missoula — 15.6 inches
- Great Falls — 14.2 inches
The cities with the best weather in Montana are Billings, Helena, Great Falls, Missoula, Kalispell, and Bozeman.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places with the worst weather in Montana:
- Bozeman
- Kalispell
- Missoula
For more Montana reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In Montana
| Rank | City | Population | Sunny Days | Avg. High | Precipitation (Inches) | Snow (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billings | 108,134 | 326.2 | 61.5 | 13.8 | 49.3 |
| 2 | Helena | 29,600 | 332.2 | 56.9 | 12.9 | 35.4 |
| 3 | Great Falls | 59,563 | 325.5 | 58.1 | 14.2 | 61.2 |
| 4 | Missoula | 69,190 | 314.3 | 57.0 | 15.6 | 42.7 |
| 5 | Kalispell | 21,142 | 310.9 | 55.4 | 15.8 | 55.8 |
| 6 | Bozeman | 40,319 | 312.7 | 57.1 | 17.8 | 71.8 |