Climate & Weather in Billings
Billings has a real, genuinely semi-arid, four-season high-plains climate: cold, freezing, windy winters (January highs around 27°F) and short, hot, dry summers (July averaging around 73°F with highs regularly reaching 90°F+), alongside real, documented hail and a 2010 tornado.
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Learn moreCold, Freezing, Snowy Winters
Billings' winters are cited as freezing, snowy, windy, and partly cloudy, with January (the coldest month) averaging around 27°F and temperatures often dropping below freezing at night -- a real, genuinely cold winter climate.
Short, Hot, Dry Summers
Summers are cited as short, hot, dry, and mostly clear, with July (the warmest month) averaging around 73°F and daytime highs regularly reaching 90°F or more.
A Genuinely Semi-Arid Climate
Billings receives only approximately 13.66 inches of annual precipitation -- a real, genuinely dry, semi-arid climate, alongside approximately 54 inches of average annual snowfall (snow typically running October through April).
A Real, Documented Active Hail Corridor
As detailed on the homeowners-insurance topic page, Billings sits in one of Montana's most active hail corridors, with damaging events cited nearly every spring -- a real, genuine severe-weather hazard distinct from winter-storm risk.
A Real, Documented June 2010 EF2 Tornado
On June 20, 2010, a real, documented EF2 tornado struck Billings directly, on the ground for approximately 12 minutes, tearing the roof off the 10,000-seat Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark and heavily damaging numerous businesses -- consistent with eastern Montana's real exposure to Great Plains-style severe convective weather.
Key takeaways
- Billings' January average high runs around 27°F, with genuinely cold, freezing, snowy winter conditions.
- Billings' July average runs around 73°F, with daytime highs regularly reaching 90°F+ during short, dry summers.
- Annual precipitation runs only approximately 13.66 inches (semi-arid), alongside approximately 54 inches of average annual snowfall.
- Billings sits in a real, documented active hail corridor, with damaging events cited nearly every spring.
- A real, documented EF2 tornado struck Billings directly on June 20, 2010.
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