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2024 Compare Climate & Weather:
Fort Smith, AR vs Helena, MT

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Highlights

On average, there are 189 sunny days per year in Helena. Fort Smith averages 214 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Helena, Montana gets 12.6 inches of rain, on average, per year. Fort Smith, Arkansas gets 47.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Helena averages 42.1 inches of snow per year. Fort Smith averages 4.1 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.


Weather Highlights

Helena, Montana
Summer High:
the July high is around 83.4 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13.8
Rain: averages 12.6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 42.1 inches of snow a year

Fort Smith, Arkansas
Summer High:
the July high is around 92.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 28.2
Rain: averages 47.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 4.1 inches of snow a year


BESTPLACES COMFORT INDEX
Helena

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Helena is 6.6 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Montana.

6.6 / 10
July, August and June are the most pleasant months in Helena, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Fort Smith

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Fort Smith is 7.1 (10=best), which means it is about average compared to other places in Arkansas.

7.1 / 10
May, October and April are the most pleasant months in Fort Smith, while July and August are the least comfortable months.


Today's Weather - Fort Smith, AR

3 AM PST

Areas Of Fog

63°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightAreas Of Fog62° / 86°SE 0 mph
Saturday NightMostly Clear64° / 90°NE 0 mph
Sunday NightPartly Cloudy69° / 90°SE 5 mph
Monday NightMostly Clear71° / 90°SE 5 to 10 mph
Tuesday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms70° / 85°S 5 to 10 mph
Wednesday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms64° / 84°N 5 to 10 mph
Thursday NightChance Showers And Thunderstorms65° / 86°SE 5 mph

Today's Weather - Helena, MT

3 AM PST

Partly Cloudy

40°F

DAYDESCRIPTIONHIGH / LOWWIND
OvernightPartly Cloudy37° / 65°SW 7 to 10 mph
Saturday NightMostly Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers39° / 57°WNW 3 to 15 mph
Sunday NightChance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy35° / 61°WNW 3 to 12 mph
Monday NightSlight Chance Light Rain then Partly Cloudy35° / 64°NW 2 to 10 mph
Tuesday NightSlight Chance Light Rain then Mostly Cloudy41° / 62°W 2 to 7 mph
Wednesday NightLight Rain Likely40° / 55°NW 5 to 9 mph
Thursday NightChance Rain38° / 60°WNW 3 to 8 mph

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)
MonthFort Smith, ARHelena, MT
January50° / 28°32° / 14°
February55° / 32°37° / 17°
March64° / 40°46° / 24°
April73° / 49°56° / 31°
May80° / 59°65° / 39°
June88° / 67°74° / 47°
July93° / 71°83° / 52°
August93° / 70°83° / 51°
September85° / 62°71° / 43°
October75° / 50°57° / 33°
November63° / 40°41° / 23°
December51° / 31°32° / 14°

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Fort Smith / Helena
MonthHot DaysFreezing DaysRainy DaysSnowy Days
January0 / 021 / 297 / 61 / 5
February0 / 014 / 267 / 61 / 4
March0 / 06 / 269 / 70 / 4
April1 / 01 / 168 / 80 / 2
May2 / 00 / 510 / 110 / 1
June11 / 10 / 08 / 110 / 0
July22 / 70 / 06 / 80 / 0
August21 / 60 / 06 / 70 / 0
September9 / 10 / 27 / 60 / 1
October1 / 01 / 138 / 60 / 1
November0 / 07 / 247 / 70 / 4
December0 / 018 / 297 / 71 / 5
August is the hottest month for Fort Smith with an average high temperature of 93.0°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Arkansas. In Fort Smith, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Fort Smith are May, October and April.

July is the hottest month for Helena with an average high temperature of 83.4°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Montana. In Helena, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Helena are June, August and July.


January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Fort Smith with an average of 28.2°. This is about average compared to other places in Arkansas.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Helena with an average of 13.6°. This is about average compared to other places in Montana.



In Fort Smith, there are 64.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Arkansas.

In Helena, there are 15.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Montana.



In Fort Smith, there are 68.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in Arkansas.

In Helena, there are 170.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Montana.



In Fort Smith, there are 0.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Arkansas.

In Helena, there are 16.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Montana.



May is the wettest month in Fort Smith with 5.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is August with 2.6 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 30% of yearly precipitation and 20% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 47.7 inches in Fort Smith means that it is drier than most places in Arkansas.


June is the wettest month in Helena with 2.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.4 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 37% of yearly precipitation and 10% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 12.6 inches in Helena means that it is drier than most places in Montana.


May is the rainiest month in Fort Smith with 9.9 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 5.7 rainy days. There are 88.7 rainy days annually in Fort Smith, which is less rainy than most places in Arkansas. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 30% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 22% chance of a rainy day.

May is the rainiest month in Helena with 11.0 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 5.5 rainy days. There are 89.6 rainy days annually in Helena, which is about average compared to other places in Montana. The rainiest season is Summer when it rains 29% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.



An annual snowfall of 4.1 inches in Fort Smith means that it is snowier than most places in Arkansas.

An annual snowfall of 42.1 inches in Helena means that it is about average compared to other places in Montana.



January is the snowiest month in Fort Smith with 2.0 inches of snow, and 3 months of the year have significant snowfall.

March is the snowiest month in Helena with 7.4 inches of snow, and 9 months of the year have significant snowfall.


DID YOU KNOW?

Many people confuse Weather and Climate, but they are different. Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, while Climate refers to the conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

Weather, more specifically, refers to how the atmosphere behaves and its effects on life and human activities. Most people think of Weather in terms of what can be observed: temperature, humidity, precipitation, and cloudy/sunny conditions. Weather conditions constantly change on a minute-to-minute basis.

Climate is a record of the average weather conditions for a given place over a long period of time, often referred to as Climate Normals. A 30-year period of record is a common requirement to be considered a Climate Normal.


Reviews for Fort Smith    2 Reviews

Over 15 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

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Over 15 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

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Reviews for Helena    2 Reviews

Over 15 years ago

Hi. I'd like to know if you still feel the same way about living in Broomfield. I went there this past July to check it out (along with Lafayette, Boulder (can't  More

   |    Reply

Over 15 years ago

Apex is perfect for what you are looking for. It's close enough to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill to find a job and Cary the next town over, is a little more expensive but  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Helena

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ZIPS IN FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS
72903, 72904, 72901, 72908, 72916
ZIPS IN HELENA, MONTANA
59601

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