Observed 9:35 AM MDT at KHLN

Helena Valley Northwest, MT weather

Sunny and 27°−3°, 10°6° colder than a typical Oct 24, freeze watch tonight, low 26°−3°.

Mostly agree

Now 27°−3°

Sunny · Feels like 23°−5°

Wind: 3 mph5 km/h; From the west-southwest. Up to 5 mph8 km/h through 10 PM
Dew point: 21°−6°; Dry · up to 30°−1° by 12 PM
UV index: 1Low; Moderate 12–4 PM · peak 4
Air quality: 37Good; Main pollutant: PM2.5 (fine particles)

No precipitation expected in the next 2 hours.

From forecast models

Next 48 hours

23°13° cooler than this time yesterday (48°9° then, 25°−4° now)

Good hours for

Hard freeze until noon (low 28°−2°)
Fog until 11 AM
High 42°6° tonight at 6 PM
Hard freeze tonight 9 PM–noon (low 21°−6°)
Hard freeze tomorrow night from 8 PM (low 22°−6°)

This morningUp to 32°0° by 11 AM · Partly cloudy · freezing, low 28°−2°
This afternoonUp to 41°5° by 2 PM · Partly cloudy
TonightDown to 24°−4° by 5 AM · freezing, low 24°−4° · Partly cloudy
Tomorrow morningUp to 31°−1° by 11 AM · freezing, low 21°−6° · Partly cloudy
Tomorrow afternoonUp to 39°4° by 5 PM · Partly cloudy
Tomorrow nightDown to 23°−5° by 5 AM · freezing, low 23°−5° · Mostly cloudy
Monday morningUp to 27°−3° by 9 AM · freezing, low 22°−6° · Mostly cloudy

Hourly forecast, next 48 hours, in the place's local time
Hour	Conditions	Temperature	Feels like	Precipitation	Wind	Humidity	Cloud cover	UV index
Sat 10a	Fog	28°−2° (likely 26°−3° to 31°−1°)	24°−4°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from SE, gusts 9 mph15 km/h	93%	58%	1
Sat 11a	Mostly sunny	32°0° (likely 29°−2° to 35°2°)	29°−2°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from SE, gusts 10 mph16 km/h	88%	42%	2
Sat 12p	Mostly sunny	36°2° (likely 31°−1° to 37°3°)	32°0°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from SE, gusts 10 mph17 km/h	80%	27%	3
Sat 1p	Mostly sunny	38°3° (likely 34°1° to 39°4°)	36°2°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from SE, gusts 11 mph17 km/h	81%	26%	4
Sat 2p	Sunny	41°5° (likely 37°3° to 41°5°)	38°3°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from SE, gusts 11 mph17 km/h	74%	7%	4
Sat 3p	Sunny	41°5° (likely 38°3° to 42°6°)	38°3°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from SE, gusts 11 mph17 km/h	77%	5%	3
Sat 4p	Sunny	41°5° (likely 38°3° to 43°6°)	39°4°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from SE, gusts 10 mph16 km/h	75%	41%	2
Sat 5p	Partly sunny	41°5° (likely 37°3° to 43°6°)	39°4°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from ESE, gusts 10 mph16 km/h	69%	46%	1
Sat 6p	Partly cloudy	42°6° (likely 35°2° to 42°6°)	42°6°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from E, gusts 9 mph15 km/h	68%	46%	0
Sat 7p	Partly cloudy	38°3° (likely 33°1° to 38°3°)	38°3°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from ENE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	80%	49%	0
Sat 8p	Partly cloudy	35°2° (likely 32°0° to 37°3°)	35°2°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NE, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	82%	50%	0
Sat 9p	Partly cloudy	31°−1° (likely 31°−1° to 35°2°)	31°−1°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from NE, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	84%	26%	0
Sat 10p	Clear	30°−1° (likely 30°−1° to 35°2°)	30°−1°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NE, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	86%	18%	0
Sat 11p	Partly cloudy	29°−2° (likely 29°−2° to 36°2°)	29°−2°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NE, gusts 5 mph7 km/h	89%	22%	0
Sun 12a	Clear	28°−2° (likely 28°−2° to 35°2°)	28°−2°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	91%	13%	0
Sun 1a	Partly cloudy	27°−3° (likely 27°−3° to 35°2°)	27°−3°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NNE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	94%	20%	0
Sun 2a	Mostly clear	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 35°2°)	26°−3°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from NNE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	93%	54%	0
Sun 3a	Mostly clear	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 36°2°)	22°−6°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 6 mph10 km/h	94%	22%	0
Sun 4a	Clear	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 34°1°)	22°−6°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 14 mph22 km/h	95%	11%	0
Sun 5a	Clear	24°−4° (likely 24°−4° to 34°1°)	18°−8°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph25 km/h	96%	9%	0
Sun 6a	Clear	23°−5° (likely 23°−5° to 33°1°)	18°−8°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 17 mph27 km/h	100%	29%	0
Sun 7a	Partly cloudy	23°−5° (likely 23°−5° to 33°1°)	18°−8°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph26 km/h	100%	32%	0
Sun 8a	Partly sunny	21°−6° (likely 21°−6° to 33°1°)	16°−9°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 15 mph25 km/h	100%	39%	0
Sun 9a	Mostly cloudy	24°−4° (likely 24°−4° to 33°1°)	20°−7°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph25 km/h	98%	44%	0
Sun 10a	Mostly cloudy	28°−2° (likely 28°−2° to 35°2°)	24°−4°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 17 mph27 km/h	96%	48%	1
Sun 11a	Mostly cloudy	31°−1° (likely 31°−1° to 36°2°)	28°−2°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 17 mph27 km/h	91%	46%	2
Sun 12p	Mostly cloudy	33°1° (likely 32°0° to 37°3°)	30°−1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph26 km/h	84%	55%	3
Sun 1p	Mostly sunny	34°1° (likely 34°1° to 38°3°)	31°−1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph25 km/h	85%	48%	4
Sun 2p	Mostly cloudy	37°3° (likely 36°2° to 40°4°)	34°1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph25 km/h	79%	38%	3
Sun 3p	Mostly sunny	38°3° (likely 37°3° to 40°4°)	34°1°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph25 km/h	77%	38%	3
Sun 4p	Partly sunny	38°3° (likely 36°2° to 40°4°)	34°1°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph26 km/h	71%	62%	2
Sun 5p	Partly sunny	39°4° (likely 35°2° to 39°4°)	36°2°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 17 mph27 km/h	67%	48%	1
Sun 6p	Mostly cloudy	38°3° (likely 32°0° to 38°3°)	34°1°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 18 mph28 km/h	67%	38%	0
Sun 7p	Mostly clear	34°1° (likely 30°−1° to 34°1°)	30°−1°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 16 mph26 km/h	80%	58%	0
Sun 8p	Mostly cloudy	30°−1° (likely 29°−2° to 33°1°)	25°−4°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from N, gusts 14 mph23 km/h	86%	59%	0
Sun 9p	Partly cloudy	28°−2° (likely 27°−3° to 32°0°)	23°−5°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from NNW, gusts 13 mph21 km/h	87%	68%	0
Sun 10p	Partly cloudy	27°−3° (likely 27°−3° to 32°0°)	22°−6°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from NNW, gusts 10 mph16 km/h	89%	82%	0
Sun 11p	Cloudy	27°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	22°−6°	0%	5 mph8 km/h from NNW, gusts 8 mph13 km/h	91%	92%	0
Mon 12a	Cloudy	27°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	27°−3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 8 mph12 km/h	92%	95%	0
Mon 1a	Cloudy	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	26°−3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	93%	92%	0
Mon 2a	Cloudy	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	26°−3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	94%	83%	0
Mon 3a	Cloudy	25°−4° (likely 25°−4° to 32°0°)	25°−4°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	95%	88%	0
Mon 4a	Cloudy	24°−4° (likely 24°−4° to 31°−1°)	24°−4°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph4 km/h	97%	89%	0
Mon 5a	Cloudy	23°−5° (likely 23°−5° to 31°−1°)	23°−5°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 2 mph3 km/h	98%	91%	0
Mon 6a	Cloudy	22°−6° (likely 22°−6° to 31°−1°)	22°−6°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 2 mph3 km/h	99%	90%	0
Mon 7a	Cloudy	23°−5° (likely 19°−7° to 31°−1°)	23°−5°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 1 mph2 km/h	99%	77%	0
Mon 8a	Cloudy	24°−4° (likely 20°−7° to 31°−1°)	24°−4°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 1 mph2 km/h	98%	83%	0
Mon 9a	Cloudy	27°−3° (likely 22°−6° to 32°0°)	27°−3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 1 mph2 km/h	95%	85%	0

Days ahead

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

Today, Oct 24. Cloudy. High 43°6°, low 21°−6°. Typical 53°12° / 30°−1°. Dry. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Mostly sunny, 32°0°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 41°5°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Partly cloudy, 35°2°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Mostly clear, 24°−4°
  Dry
Official NWS forecast
Today: Patchy fog before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low around 21, with temperatures rising to around 24 overnight. Northeast wind 1 to 5 mph.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
38°3°–43°6°
Low, likely
20°−7°–28°−2°
Typical high / low
53°12° / 30°−1°
Wind
10 mph17 km/h
UV peak
4
Tomorrow, Oct 25. Mostly cloudy. High 40°4°, low 21°−6°. Typical 53°12° / 30°−1°. Dry. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Mostly cloudy, 21°−6°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Mostly sunny, 39°4°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Partly cloudy, 30°−1°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Cloudy, 23°−5°
  Dry
Official NWS forecast
Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 40. North wind around 5 mph.
Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. North wind 0 to 5 mph.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
37°3°–40°4°
Low, likely
21°−6°–32°0°
Typical high / low
53°12° / 30°−1°
Wind
19 mph31 km/h, gusts 26 mph42 km/h
UV peak
4
Monday, Oct 26. Partly sunny. High 48°9°, low 27°−3°. Typical 52°11° / 30°−1°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 24°−4°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 47°8°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 37°3°
  30% chance
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Cloudy, 33°1°
  30% chance · 0.05 in1.3 mm
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. East wind around 1 mph.
Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. West wind 1 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
43°6°–50°10°
Low, likely
21°−6°–29°−2°
Typical high / low
52°11° / 30°−1°
Wind
5 mph9 km/h, gusts 11 mph17 km/h
UV peak
3
Tuesday, Oct 27. Snow. High 49°9°, low 25°−4°. Typical 52°11° / 29°−2°. Snow 0.07 in1.8 mm, 40% chance. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Drizzle, 36°2°
  30% chance · 0.02 in0.5 mm
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 48°9°
  30% chance
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 39°4°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Mostly clear, 30°−1°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: A chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 49. West southwest wind 2 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Night: A chance of rain before midnight, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. West wind 5 to 9 mph. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
47°8°–50°10°
Low, likely
25°−4°–37°3°
Typical high / low
52°11° / 29°−2°
Wind
14 mph22 km/h, gusts 32 mph51 km/h
UV peak
2
Wednesday, Oct 28. Snow. High 45°7°, low 22°−6°. Typical 51°11° / 29°−2°. Snow, 20% chance. Forecasts agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Partly sunny, 29°−2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Mostly sunny, 49°9°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 40°4°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Partly cloudy, 31°−1°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: A slight chance of snow before 3pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 45.
Night: A slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Forecasts agreeIndependent forecasts are close; the range is narrow.
High, likely
45°7°–50°10°
Low, likely
22°−6°–31°−1°
Typical high / low
51°11° / 29°−2°
Wind
11 mph17 km/h, gusts 23 mph37 km/h
UV peak
3
Thursday, Oct 29. Snow. High 43°6°, low 22°−6°. Typical 51°11° / 28°−2°. Snow 0.01 in0.3 mm, 20% chance. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 30°−1°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 42°6°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 35°2°
  30% chance · 0.01 in0.3 mm
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Snow, 30°−1°
  30% chance · 0.02 in0.4 mm
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: A slight chance of snow before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 43.
Night: A slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
37°3°–48°9°
Low, likely
22°−6°–31°−1°
Typical high / low
51°11° / 28°−2°
Wind
12 mph19 km/h, gusts 17 mph27 km/h
UV peak
3
Friday, Oct 30. Snow. High 46°8°, low 23°−5°. Typical 50°10° / 28°−2°. Snow 0–2 in0–5 cm, 20% chance. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 31°−1°
  30% chance · 0.2 in0.5 cm
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Drizzle, 36°2°
  30% chance · 0.03 in0.8 mm
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 33°0°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Partly cloudy, 28°−2°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: A slight chance of snow before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 46.
Night: A slight chance of rain and snow. Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
34°1°–46°8°
Low, likely
23°−5°–33°1°
Typical high / low
50°10° / 28°−2°
Wind
10 mph16 km/h, gusts 20 mph33 km/h
UV peak
1
Saturday, Oct 31. Cloudy. High 38°3°, low 25°−4°. Typical 50°10° / 28°−2°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 28°−2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Mostly sunny, 37°3°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 30°−1°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Mostly clear, 25°−4°
  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
33°1°–43°6°
Low, likely
19°−7°–30°−1°
Typical high / low
50°10° / 28°−2°
Wind
16 mph26 km/h, gusts 21 mph34 km/h
UV peak
3
Sunday, Nov 1. Cloudy. High 42°6°, low 26°−3°. Typical 49°9° / 27°−3°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Sunny, 28°−2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Mostly sunny, 41°5°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 36°2°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 32°0°
  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
37°3°–48°9°
Low, likely
18°−8°–29°−2°
Typical high / low
49°9° / 27°−3°
Wind
10 mph16 km/h, gusts 32 mph51 km/h
UV peak
3
Monday, Nov 2. Cloudy. High 46°8°, low 29°−2°. Typical 49°9° / 27°−3°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Sunny, 36°2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 48°9°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 38°3°
  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
39°4°–52°11°
Low, likely
27°−3°–30°−1°
Typical high / low
49°9° / 27°−3°
Wind
7 mph11 km/h, gusts 14 mph22 km/h
UV peak
3

10 days15 days30 days

The outlook

Today
Dry, high 43°, low 21°.
Tomorrow
Dry, high 40°, low 21°, cooling off.
Monday
Dry, high 48°, low 27°, warming up.
Rest of week
Mostly dry, highs 38–49°.

Want the meteorologists’ reasoning? Read the NWS forecast discussion (TFX) (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

Missouri River below Hauser Dam near Helena

8.4 mi

Level: 3.5 ft

Reading from Sat 8 AM · NWS gauge page

Tenmile Creek (MT) near Helena

8.7 mi

Below flood stage

Level: 2.8 ft
Flow: 52 cfs

Reading from Sat 8:15 AM · NWS gauge page

Missouri River at Helena Valley Reservoir

11 mi

Below flood stage

Level: 3818 ft

Reading from Sat 8:15 AM · NWS gauge page

Prickly Pear Creek near Clancy

16 mi

Level: 1.1 ft
Flow: 51 cfs

Reading from Fri 10:30 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: 26°−3°

Overnight low near 26°F — not yet at drip-the-faucets cold, but worth watching if it's forecast to drop further.

Heating this week

About 61% less heating than a typical week.

This week 68Typical 172

Heating degree days, base 65°F

Heat-pump hours, next 7 days

h below 47°F: 47
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 16 hours are near freezing and damp, when outdoor units defrost more often.

Comfort

Dry air outside (dew point 21°F). Indoor air will run dry too — a humidifier keeping indoor relative humidity in the 30–50% range is more comfortable and cuts static shocks, without going so high it fogs cold windows.

Open the windows?

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

Is this typical?

Helena Airport Asos · official normals 1991–2020 · records 1880–2026

Oct 24, today vs a typical year

Today’s expected high is 10°6° colder than typical.

Last 7 days vs normal

On average 5°3° warmer than normal (daily mean temperature).

+6°+3°SunOct 18
+5°+3°MonOct 19
+6°+3°TueOct 20
+5°+3°WedOct 21
+8°+4°ThuOct 22
−1°FriOct 23
—SatOct 24

Helena Valley Northwest weather by month: normals, records, snow and freeze dates

Sun & moon

Sun

Daylight: 10 h 26 min; Losing 3 min 12 s a day; shortest Dec 21, 1 h 53 min less
Golden hour: 5:42–6:44 PM; Morning 7:39–8:41 AM
Blue hour: 6:44–6:56 PM; Morning 7:27–7:39 AM; first light 7:27 AM

Stars tonight? Fair

Mostly clear 10 PM–2 AM, but the moon is 99% lit and up.

Moon

Waxing gibbous

97% lit · growing

Today: sets 6:13 AM · rises 5:26 PM
Full moon: Oct 25
New moon: Nov 9

Looking south from Helena Valley Northwest. The highest point on the skyline is about 9,400 ft, 31 mi away.Skyline from USGS elevation data, heights drawn up to 6× taller. Sky, sun and moon as they are now.