Model estimate for 7:00 PM MDT (no recent station report)

Columbus, MT weather

Clear and 45°7°, freeze watch tonight, low 23°−5°.

Forecasts agree

Now 45°7°

Clear · Feels like 42°6°

Wind: 6 mph10 km/h; From the east. Up to 6 mph10 km/h through 7 AM
Dew point: 28°−2°; Dry, static shocks likely
UV tomorrow: 4Moderate; Moderate 12–4 PM · peak 4

Light snow now, through the next 2 hours.

From forecast models

Next 48 hours

Good hours for

Hard freeze tonight 11 PM–10 AM (low 23°−5°)
Above 40°4° tomorrow by noon
Hard freeze tomorrow night 10 PM–11 AM (low 23°−5°)
Fog tomorrow night 4–5 AM
Fog Monday 6–9 AM

TonightDown to 25°−4° by 5 AM · freezing, low 25°−4° · Clear
Tomorrow morningUp to 38°3° by 11 AM · freezing, low 23°−5° · Clear
Tomorrow afternoonUp to 49°9° by 4 PM · Clear
Tomorrow nightDown to 24°−4° by 5 AM · freezing, low 24°−4° · Clear
Monday morningUp to 38°3° by 11 AM · Partly cloudy · freezing, low 23°−5°
Monday afternoonUp to 52°11° by 3 PM · Clear

Hourly forecast, next 48 hours, in the place's local time
Hour	Conditions	Temperature	Feels like	Precipitation	Wind	Humidity	Cloud cover	UV index
Sat 7p	Clear	45°7° (likely 42°6° to 45°7°)	42°6°	0%	6 mph10 km/h from E, gusts 11 mph17 km/h	51%	0%	0
Sat 8p	Clear	42°6° (likely 39°4° to 42°6°)	39°4°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from E, gusts 10 mph17 km/h	58%	0%	0
Sat 9p	Clear	37°3° (likely 37°3° to 41°5°)	34°1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from ESE, gusts 8 mph13 km/h	64%	0%	0
Sat 10p	Clear	34°1° (likely 34°1° to 40°4°)	34°1°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from E, gusts 7 mph11 km/h	70%	0%	0
Sat 11p	Clear	32°0° (likely 32°0° to 39°4°)	32°0°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from E, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	76%	0%	0
Sun 12a	Clear	31°−1° (likely 31°−1° to 38°3°)	31°−1°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from ESE, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	82%	0%	0
Sun 1a	Clear	29°−2° (likely 29°−2° to 37°3°)	29°−2°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from SW, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	89%	0%	0
Sun 2a	Clear	28°−2° (likely 28°−2° to 35°2°)	28°−2°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from WSW, gusts 3 mph4 km/h	91%	2%	0
Sun 3a	Clear	27°−3° (likely 27°−3° to 34°1°)	27°−3°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from W, gusts 2 mph4 km/h	93%	5%	0
Sun 4a	Clear	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 34°1°)	26°−3°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from W, gusts 2 mph4 km/h	95%	5%	0
Sun 5a	Clear	25°−4° (likely 25°−4° to 34°1°)	25°−4°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from W, gusts 2 mph3 km/h	96%	2%	0
Sun 6a	Clear	25°−4° (likely 25°−4° to 33°1°)	25°−4°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from W, gusts 2 mph4 km/h	94%	2%	0
Sun 7a	Clear	24°−4° (likely 24°−4° to 33°1°)	24°−4°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from W, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	96%	4%	0
Sun 8a	Sunny	23°−5° (likely 23°−5° to 34°1°)	23°−5°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from WNW, gusts 3 mph4 km/h	93%	2%	0
Sun 9a	Sunny	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 36°2°)	22°−6°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from W, gusts 3 mph4 km/h	91%	0%	0
Sun 10a	Sunny	33°1° (likely 33°1° to 39°4°)	30°−1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from NW, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	79%	0%	1
Sun 11a	Sunny	38°3° (likely 38°3° to 44°7°)	34°1°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 8 mph12 km/h	67%	0%	2
Sun 12p	Sunny	42°6° (likely 42°6° to 47°8°)	38°3°	0%	6 mph10 km/h from NNE, gusts 9 mph15 km/h	58%	0%	3
Sun 1p	Sunny	46°8° (likely 45°7° to 51°11°)	43°6°	0%	6 mph10 km/h from NE, gusts 10 mph16 km/h	51%	0%	4
Sun 2p	Sunny	47°8° (likely 46°8° to 53°12°)	44°7°	0%	7 mph11 km/h from ENE, gusts 11 mph18 km/h	47%	0%	4
Sun 3p	Sunny	48°9° (likely 47°8° to 54°12°)	44°7°	0%	8 mph13 km/h from ENE, gusts 13 mph20 km/h	46%	0%	3
Sun 4p	Sunny	49°9° (likely 46°8° to 53°12°)	46°8°	0%	8 mph13 km/h from ENE, gusts 14 mph23 km/h	47%	0%	2
Sun 5p	Sunny	47°8° (likely 45°7° to 50°10°)	44°7°	0%	7 mph11 km/h from ENE, gusts 15 mph24 km/h	49%	0%	1
Sun 6p	Clear	44°7° (likely 41°5° to 46°8°)	42°6°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from NE, gusts 13 mph21 km/h	57%	0%	0
Sun 7p	Clear	41°5° (likely 38°3° to 43°6°)	39°4°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from NE, gusts 9 mph15 km/h	65%	1%	0
Sun 8p	Clear	36°2° (likely 35°2° to 40°4°)	33°1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from NE, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	72%	15%	0
Sun 9p	Clear	34°1° (likely 33°1° to 38°3°)	34°1°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NNW, gusts 6 mph10 km/h	77%	10%	0
Sun 10p	Clear	32°0° (likely 31°−1° to 36°2°)	32°0°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NNW, gusts 6 mph10 km/h	83%	16%	0
Sun 11p	Clear	30°−1° (likely 29°−2° to 35°2°)	30°−1°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NNW, gusts 5 mph9 km/h	89%	27%	0
Mon 12a	Clear	29°−2° (likely 29°−2° to 35°2°)	29°−2°	5%	1 mph2 km/h from NW, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	92%	31%	0
Mon 1a	Clear	28°−2° (likely 28°−2° to 34°1°)	28°−2°	5%	1 mph2 km/h from NW, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	96%	32%	0
Mon 2a	Clear	27°−3° (likely 27°−3° to 34°1°)	27°−3°	5%	1 mph2 km/h from NW, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	98%	34%	0
Mon 3a	Clear	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	26°−3°	5%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	100%	20%	0
Mon 4a	Fog	25°−4° (likely 25°−4° to 31°−1°)	25°−4°	5%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 2 mph4 km/h	100%	44%	0
Mon 5a	Partly cloudy	24°−4° (likely 24°−4° to 30°−1°)	24°−4°	5%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	100%	48%	0
Mon 6a	Fog	24°−4° (likely 24°−4° to 30°−1°)	24°−4°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 2 mph3 km/h	100%	55%	0
Mon 7a	Fog	23°−5° (likely 23°−5° to 30°−1°)	23°−5°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 2 mph3 km/h	100%	50%	0
Mon 8a	Fog	24°−4° (likely 24°−4° to 30°−1°)	24°−4°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 2 mph3 km/h	100%	45%	0
Mon 9a	Sunny	27°−3° (likely 25°−4° to 32°0°)	27°−3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 2 mph3 km/h	100%	40%	0
Mon 10a	Sunny	32°0° (likely 32°0° to 37°3°)	32°0°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	94%	39%	1
Mon 11a	Sunny	38°3° (likely 35°2° to 42°6°)	38°3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 5 mph9 km/h	86%	32%	2
Mon 12p	Sunny	44°7° (likely 39°4° to 46°8°)	42°6°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from E, gusts 6 mph10 km/h	77%	25%	3
Mon 1p	Sunny	48°9° (likely 41°5° to 52°11°)	47°8°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from E, gusts 8 mph13 km/h	69%	3%	4
Mon 2p	Mostly sunny	50°10° (likely 45°7° to 54°12°)	49°9°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from E, gusts 10 mph16 km/h	61%	20%	4
Mon 3p	Mostly sunny	52°11° (likely 47°8° to 55°13°)	52°11°	0%	7 mph11 km/h from E, gusts 11 mph17 km/h	58%	24%	3
Mon 4p	Mostly sunny	51°11° (likely 47°8° to 55°13°)	51°11°	0%	7 mph11 km/h from E, gusts 12 mph19 km/h	60%	9%	2
Mon 5p	Mostly sunny	50°10° (likely 45°7° to 54°12°)	47°8°	0%	7 mph11 km/h from E, gusts 13 mph20 km/h	65%	11%	1
Mon 6p	Partly cloudy	47°8° (likely 42°6° to 49°9°)	45°7°	10%	5 mph8 km/h from ENE, gusts 11 mph18 km/h	73%	25%	0

Days ahead

Shaded: typical range for these dates (1991–2020)

Today, Oct 24. Drizzle. High 51°11°, low 23°−5°. Typical 56°13° / 26°−3°. Rain 0.01 in0.3 mm, 40% chance. Forecasts agree.
1. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 42°6°
  Dry
2. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 25°−4°
  Dry
Official NWS forecast
Tonight: Patchy fog after 3am. Mostly clear. Low around 23, with temperatures rising to around 25 overnight. South southeast wind 1 to 6 mph.
Forecasts agreeIndependent forecasts are close; the range is narrow.
High, likely
51°11°–52°11°
Low, likely
23°−5°–31°−1°
Typical high / low
56°13° / 26°−3°
Wind
13 mph21 km/h, gusts 22 mph35 km/h
UV peak
4
Tomorrow, Oct 25. Fog. High 49°9°, low 22°−6°. Typical 56°13° / 26°−3°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Sunny, 23°−5°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 49°9°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 36°2°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 24°−4°
  Dry
Official NWS forecast
Day: Patchy fog before 9am. Sunny. High near 49, with temperatures falling to around 47 in the afternoon. North wind 2 to 8 mph.
Night: Areas of fog after midnight. Partly cloudy. Low around 22, with temperatures rising to around 24 overnight. North wind 0 to 3 mph.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
47°8°–54°12°
Low, likely
22°−6°–33°1°
Typical high / low
56°13° / 26°−3°
Wind
11 mph18 km/h, gusts 20 mph32 km/h
UV peak
4
Monday, Oct 26. Fog. High 52°11°, low 27°−3°. Typical 55°13° / 26°−3°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Sunny, 24°−4°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Mostly sunny, 52°11°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 41°5°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Drizzle, 36°2°
  30% chance · 0.02 in0.6 mm
Official NWS forecast
Day: Areas of fog before noon. Mostly sunny. High near 52, with temperatures falling to around 50 in the afternoon. Northeast wind 0 to 7 mph.
Night: Areas of fog between 9pm and midnight, then areas of fog and a slight chance of rain showers. Partly cloudy. Low around 27, with temperatures rising to around 29 overnight. North northeast wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
48°9°–53°12°
Low, likely
24°−4°–30°−1°
Typical high / low
55°13° / 26°−3°
Wind
10 mph16 km/h, gusts 17 mph28 km/h
UV peak
4
Tuesday, Oct 27. Fog. High 56°13°, low 26°−3°. Typical 55°13° / 25°−4°. Rain 0.09 in2.3 mm, 50% chance. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 36°2°
  40% chance · 0.06 in1.6 mm
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 54°12°
  30% chance · 0.01 in0.3 mm
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 43°6°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 31°−1°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Areas of fog and a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 56, with temperatures falling to around 53 in the afternoon. West northwest wind 1 to 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Night: Patchy fog after 3am. Partly cloudy. Low around 26, with temperatures rising to around 28 overnight. West wind 3 to 8 mph.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
50°10°–58°14°
Low, likely
26°−3°–40°4°
Typical high / low
55°13° / 25°−4°
Wind
25 mph39 km/h, gusts 41 mph66 km/h
UV peak
4
Wednesday, Oct 28. Fog. High 57°14°, low 25°−4°. Typical 54°12° / 25°−4°. Dry. Forecasts agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Sunny, 30°−1°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 55°13°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 42°6°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 29°−2°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Patchy fog before 9am. Mostly sunny. High near 57, with temperatures falling to around 54 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 2 to 6 mph.
Night: Partly cloudy. Low around 25, with temperatures rising to around 27 overnight. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
Forecasts agreeIndependent forecasts are close; the range is narrow.
High, likely
54°12°–57°14°
Low, likely
23°−5°–35°2°
Typical high / low
54°12° / 25°−4°
Wind
9 mph15 km/h, gusts 32 mph51 km/h
UV peak
4
Thursday, Oct 29. Cloudy. High 53°12°, low 26°−3°. Typical 54°12° / 24°−4°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 29°−2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 56°13°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 44°7°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Partly cloudy, 34°1°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Partly sunny. High near 53, with temperatures falling to around 50 in the afternoon. North northeast wind 1 to 6 mph.
Night: Mostly cloudy. Low around 26, with temperatures rising to around 28 overnight. North wind 1 to 6 mph.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
50°10°–59°15°
Low, likely
22°−6°–33°1°
Typical high / low
54°12° / 24°−4°
Wind
12 mph19 km/h, gusts 26 mph41 km/h
UV peak
3
Friday, Oct 30. Mostly cloudy. High 52°11°, low 25°−4°. Typical 54°12° / 24°−4°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 36°2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Partly sunny, 45°7°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Mostly clear, 39°4°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Partly cloudy, 34°1°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Partly sunny. High near 52, with temperatures falling to around 49 in the afternoon. North wind 1 to 5 mph.
Night: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 25, with temperatures rising to around 28 overnight. North northeast wind 1 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
38°3°–52°11°
Low, likely
25°−4°–37°3°
Typical high / low
54°12° / 24°−4°
Wind
8 mph12 km/h, gusts 15 mph25 km/h
UV peak
3
Saturday, Oct 31. Mostly cloudy. High 52°11°, low 34°1°. Typical 53°12° / 24°−4°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 36°2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Partly sunny, 47°8°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Mostly clear, 44°7°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 32°0°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Partly sunny. High near 52, with temperatures falling to around 49 in the afternoon. Northwest wind around 3 mph.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
42°6°–58°14°
Low, likely
28°−2°–39°4°
Typical high / low
53°12° / 24°−4°
Wind
9 mph14 km/h, gusts 18 mph29 km/h
UV peak
3
Sunday, Nov 1. Sunny. High 52°11°, low 31°−1°. Typical 53°12° / 23°−5°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Sunny, 34°1°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 55°13°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 43°6°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 34°1°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
The National Weather Service writes about seven days ahead; this day is our model forecast only.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
44°7°–60°16°
Low, likely
17°−8°–39°4°
Typical high / low
53°12° / 23°−5°
Wind
17 mph27 km/h, gusts 35 mph57 km/h
UV peak
3
Monday, Nov 2. Partly sunny. High 53°12°, low 33°1°. Typical 52°11° / 23°−5°. Rain 0.03 in0.8 mm, 20% chance. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Mostly sunny, 37°3°
  20% chance
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 55°13°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 44°6°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
The National Weather Service writes about seven days ahead; this day is our model forecast only.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
47°8°–62°17°
Low, likely
29°−2°–36°2°
Typical high / low
52°11° / 23°−5°
Wind
20 mph31 km/h, gusts 41 mph66 km/h
UV peak
3

10 days15 days30 days

The outlook

Today
41% chance of rain, high 51°, low 23°.
Tomorrow
Dry, high 49°, low 22°.
Monday
Dry, high 52°, low 27°, warming up.
Rest of week
Mostly dry, highs 52–57°.

Want the meteorologists’ reasoning? Read the NWS forecast discussion (BYZ) (opens in a new tab)

What changed since yesterday

No meaningful changes from yesterday’s forecast.

Radar

Radar data: NOAA MRMS, rendered by forecast.blue

Radar loads when scrolled into view

Full-screen radar

Rivers

NOAA river gauges within 25 mi

Stillwater River (South Central MT) near Absarokee

11 mi

Below flood stage

Level: 1.6 ft
Flow: 434 cfs

Reading from Sat 5:15 PM · NWS gauge page

Red Lodge Creek above Cooney Reservoir near Boyd

14 mi

Level: 2.1 ft
Flow: 54 cfs

Reading from Sat 5:15 PM · NWS gauge page

Willow Creek near Boyd

15 mi

Level: 2.7 ft
Flow: 19 cfs

Reading from Sat 5:30 PM · NWS gauge page

Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone at Edgar

23 mi

Below flood stage

Level: 1.9 ft
Flow: 454 cfs

Reading from Sat 5:30 PM · NWS gauge page

For your home

What this week’s weather means for heating, cooling, pipes and fresh air.

Pipes: watch the cold

Tonight’s low: 23°−5°

Overnight low near 23°F — not yet at drip-the-faucets cold, but worth watching if it's forecast to drop further.

Heating this week

About 66% less heating than a typical week.

This week 59Typical 175

Heating degree days, base 65°F

Heat-pump hours, next 7 days

h below 47°F: 40
h below 17°F: 0
h below 5°F: 0

47, 17 and 5°F are the test points heat pumps are rated at. About 9 hours are near freezing and damp, when outdoor units defrost more often.

Comfort

Dry air outside (dew point 28°F).

Open the windows?

No stretch in the next few days is comfortable enough outside, by temperature, dew point and air quality.

Is this typical?

Columbus · official normals 1991–2020 · records 1930–2026

Oct 24, today vs a typical year

Today’s expected high is 5°3° colder than typical.

Last 7 days vs normal

—MonOct 19
—TueOct 20
—WedOct 21
—ThuOct 22
—FriOct 23
—SatOct 24
—SunOct 25

Columbus weather by month: normals, records, snow and freeze dates

Sun & moon

Sun

Daylight: 10 h 30 min; Losing 3 min 3 s a day; shortest Dec 21, 1 h 49 min less
Golden hour: 5:34–6:34 PM; Morning 7:27–8:27 AM
Blue hour: 6:34–6:46 PM; Morning 7:15–7:27 AM; first light 7:15 AM

Stars tonight? Fair

Clear 7 PM–7:16 AM, but the moon is 99% lit and up.

Moon

Waxing gibbous

98% lit · growing

Today: sets 6:00 AM · rises 5:16 PM
Full moon: Oct 25
New moon: Nov 9

Looking southwest from Columbus. The highest point on the skyline is about 12,500 ft, 37 mi away.Skyline from USGS elevation data, heights drawn up to 6× taller. Sky, sun and moon as they are now.