Helena Metro Area, MT Climate

The Helena, MT Metro Area has a semi-arid climate with cold and dry winter seasons and warm summers. The temperature in summer months averages between 64°F to 89°F, while the temperatures in winter months range from 18°F to 42°F. Precipitation is low throughout the year, averaging only 9 inches annually. Snowfall is fairly common in the colder months, usually ranging from 34 inches to 68 inches each year. Winters tend to be very cold and dry, making it important for area residents to stay bundled up and prepared for quickly-changing weather conditions.

Helena Metro Area, Montana gets 14 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Helena Metro Area averages 50 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 186 sunny days per year in Helena Metro Area. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Helena Metro Area gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 88 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 83 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 14
Rain: averages 14 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 50 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

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

8.8 Summer - 4.5 Winter

July, August and June are the most pleasant months in the Helena metro area, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Helena, Montana	United States
	13.7 in.	38.1 in.
	49.5 in.	27.8 in.
	87.6 days	106.2 days
	186 days	205 days
	82.9°	85.8°
	13.9°	21.7°
	6.6	7
	3.8	4.3
	5609 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 the Helena metro area with an average high temperature of 82.9°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Montana. In the Helena metro area, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the Helena metro area are August, June and July.

In the Helena metro area, there are 13.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Montana.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the Helena metro area with an average of 13.1°. This is about average compared to other places in Montana.

In the Helena metro area, there are 182.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Montana.

In the Helena metro area, there are 18.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Montana.

Humidity is low in the Helena metro area, 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 the Helena metro area with 2.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 37% of yearly precipitation and 13% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 13.7 inches in the Helena metro area means that it is drier than most places in Montana.

May is the rainiest month in the Helena metro area with 10.9 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 5.4 rainy days. There are 87.6 rainy days annually in the Helena metro area, 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 20% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 49.5 inches in the Helena metro area means that it is snowier than most places in Montana. December is the snowiest month in the Helena metro area with 8.7 inches of snow, and 9 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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