Missoula County, MT Climate

Missoula, MT County has a semi-arid climate with cold winters and hot summers. The average annual precipitation is around 12 inches, and the average snowfall is around 38 inches. Temperatures can range from -22°F in the winter to 96°F in the summer. Summers tend to be dry with temperatures remaining in the 70s or 80s during the day and dropping into the 40s at night. In the winter, temperatures remain below freezing for much of the season, but usually do not drop below -10°F. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, though spring tends to be drier than other times and there can be periods of drought during summer months.

Missoula County, Montana gets 17 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Missoula County averages 53 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 158 sunny days per year in Missoula County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Missoula County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 121 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 84 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 16
Rain: averages 17 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 53 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Missoula County is 6.4 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in Montana.

8.7 Summer - 3.8 Winter

August, July and June are the most pleasant months in Missoula County, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Missoula, Montana	United States
	16.9 in.	38.1 in.
	52.9 in.	27.8 in.
	120.9 days	106.2 days
	158 days	205 days
	84.0°	85.8°
	16.2°	21.7°
	6.4	7
	3.1	4.3
	4958 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Missoula County with an average high temperature of 84.0°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Montana. In Missoula County, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Missoula County are June, August and September.

In Missoula County, there are 18.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Montana.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Missoula County with an average of 15.3°. This is warmer than most places in Montana.

In Missoula County, there are 183.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Montana.

In Missoula County, there are 9.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in Montana.

Humidity is low in Missoula County, and some people might find the dryness to be uncomfortable. Days with noticeable humidity are rare throughout the year. A very dry climate can lead to cracked, itchy skin and dry eyes.

June is the wettest month in Missoula County with 2.2 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 1.1 inches. The wettest season is Summer with 27% of yearly precipitation and 22% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 16.9 inches in Missoula County means that it is wetter than most places in Montana.

December is the rainiest month in Missoula County with 12.4 days of rain, and July is the driest month with only 6.9 rainy days. There are 120.9 rainy days annually in Missoula County, which is rainier than most places in Montana. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 28% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 52.9 inches in Missoula County means that it is snowier than most places in Montana. December is the snowiest month in Missoula County with 13.9 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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