At Malmstrom AFB, the summers are short, warm and mostly clear, and the winters are freezing, snowy, windy and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 18°F to 87°F and is rarely below -8°F or above 96°F. It gets pretty windy, up to more than 60 miles per hour at times, due to wind accelerating from the south and southwest as it flows over the Rocky Mountains. The northern-tiered base also lives up to its reputation for heavy snowfall during winter months, with an annual average of around 60 inches of snow. This heavy snowfall, in combination with poor visibility, high winds and dangerously low wind chill temperatures occasionally combine to make travel virtually impossible.
The city's record for the most snowfall in a 24-hour period is 16.5 inches. Average high temperature for January is 35 degrees, average low temperature is 15 degrees. The coldest temperature ever recorded here is 26 degrees below zero (not considering wind chill).
Despite the daunting temperatures, some beautiful weather phenomena are a gift of the winter. Falling ice crystals produce "pillars of light" during frigid conditions under clear skies, and radiant splashes of color appear against the night sky during active displays of the aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights.
Summers are gorgeous here, with expansive blue skies and vibrant sunsets as the backdrop behind colorful mountains and lush grass. Residents thaw under the hot sun and enjoy average highs in July around 84 degrees with lows of 52 degrees. Thunderstorms are also a common sight in the summer, and on average, our annual liquid precipitation is 15 inches.
Montana's climate offers a variety of weather to enjoy. There's a little bit of everything for everyone!