Observed 12:50 PM MDT at KHLN

Helena West Side, MT weather

Sunny and 36°2°, 11°6° colder than a typical Oct 24.

Mostly agree

Now 36°2°

Sunny

Wind: Calm; Light through 1 AM
Dew point: 27°−3°; Dry, static shocks likely
UV tomorrow: 2Low; Low all day (peak 2)
Air quality: 34Good; Main pollutant: PM2.5 (fine particles)

No precipitation expected in the next 2 hours.

From forecast models

Next 48 hours

Good hours for

High 42°6° today at 5 PM
Hard freeze tonight 1 AM–1 PM (low 26°−3°)
Low 26°−3° tomorrow at 8 AM
Hard freeze tomorrow night 10 PM–11 AM (low 26°−3°)

This afternoonUp to 42°6° by 5 PM · Clear
TonightDown to 29°−2° by 5 AM · freezing, low 29°−2° · Clear
Tomorrow morningNear 30°−1° · freezing, low 26°−3° · Partly cloudy
Tomorrow afternoonUp to 38°3° by 5 PM · freezing, low 31°−1° · Mostly cloudy
Tomorrow nightDown to 28°−2° by 5 AM · freezing, low 28°−2° · Cloudy
Monday morningUp to 35°2° by 11 AM · freezing, low 26°−3° · 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 1p	Sunny	36°2° (likely 33°1° to 39°4°)	33°1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from ENE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	81%	13%	2
Sat 2p	Sunny	39°4° (likely 36°2° to 40°4°)	37°3°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from E, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	80%	14%	2
Sat 3p	Sunny	41°5° (likely 38°3° to 41°5°)	39°4°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from ENE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	77%	13%	2
Sat 4p	Sunny	41°5° (likely 39°4° to 41°5°)	39°4°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from ENE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	75%	13%	1
Sat 5p	Sunny	42°6° (likely 38°3° to 42°6°)	42°6°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from E, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	74%	16%	0
Sat 6p	Partly cloudy	39°4° (likely 35°2° to 39°4°)	39°4°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from SW, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	78%	16%	1
Sat 7p	Partly cloudy	37°3° (likely 32°0° to 37°3°)	37°3°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from WSW, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	78%	35%	0
Sat 8p	Partly cloudy	37°3° (likely 30°−1° to 37°3°)	37°3°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from WSW, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	76%	50%	0
Sat 9p	Partly cloudy	36°2° (likely 28°−2° to 36°2°)	33°1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from WSW, gusts 3 mph6 km/h	74%	43%	0
Sat 10p	Partly cloudy	35°2° (likely 27°−3° to 35°2°)	35°2°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from W, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	75%	22%	0
Sat 11p	Clear	34°1° (likely 27°−3° to 34°1°)	34°1°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from W, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	76%	16%	0
Sun 12a	Clear	33°1° (likely 27°−3° to 33°1°)	33°1°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	76%	7%	0
Sun 1a	Clear	32°0° (likely 26°−3° to 33°1°)	32°0°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	76%	15%	0
Sun 2a	Clear	32°0° (likely 26°−3° to 33°1°)	32°0°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	77%	14%	0
Sun 3a	Clear	31°−1° (likely 25°−4° to 34°1°)	31°−1°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 5 mph7 km/h	78%	2%	0
Sun 4a	Clear	31°−1° (likely 24°−4° to 34°1°)	31°−1°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 5 mph7 km/h	79%	19%	0
Sun 5a	Clear	29°−2° (likely 25°−4° to 34°1°)	29°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph6 km/h	82%	20%	0
Sun 6a	Clear	29°−2° (likely 26°−3° to 34°1°)	29°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	83%	27%	0
Sun 7a	Mostly clear	28°−2° (likely 26°−3° to 33°1°)	28°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 6 mph10 km/h	82%	44%	0
Sun 8a	Mostly cloudy	26°−3° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	26°−3°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from NW, gusts 7 mph12 km/h	88%	40%	0
Sun 9a	Partly sunny	28°−2° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	28°−2°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from NW, gusts 6 mph10 km/h	89%	47%	0
Sun 10a	Partly sunny	29°−2° (likely 28°−2° to 34°1°)	29°−2°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from NNW, gusts 6 mph10 km/h	90%	59%	1
Sun 11a	Cloudy	31°−1° (likely 30°−1° to 35°2°)	31°−1°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from N, gusts 7 mph11 km/h	87%	88%	1
Sun 12p	Cloudy	31°−1° (likely 31°−1° to 37°3°)	28°−2°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 7 mph12 km/h	87%	89%	2
Sun 1p	Cloudy	34°1° (likely 34°1° to 38°3°)	31°−1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 7 mph12 km/h	85%	92%	2
Sun 2p	Cloudy	35°2° (likely 35°2° to 38°3°)	32°0°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 7 mph11 km/h	83%	85%	2
Sun 3p	Mostly sunny	37°3° (likely 36°2° to 39°4°)	34°1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 7 mph12 km/h	80%	75%	2
Sun 4p	Mostly sunny	37°3° (likely 35°2° to 39°4°)	34°1°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 7 mph12 km/h	75%	67%	1
Sun 5p	Cloudy	38°3° (likely 34°1° to 39°4°)	36°2°	0%	3 mph5 km/h from N, gusts 7 mph12 km/h	71%	69%	1
Sun 6p	Cloudy	36°2° (likely 31°−1° to 37°3°)	36°2°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from NW, gusts 7 mph11 km/h	74%	72%	1
Sun 7p	Cloudy	34°1° (likely 29°−2° to 34°1°)	34°1°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from NW, gusts 7 mph11 km/h	75%	73%	0
Sun 8p	Cloudy	34°1° (likely 28°−2° to 34°1°)	34°1°	0%	2 mph3 km/h from NW, gusts 7 mph12 km/h	75%	76%	0
Sun 9p	Cloudy	33°1° (likely 27°−3° to 33°1°)	33°1°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from WNW, gusts 7 mph11 km/h	71%	75%	0
Sun 10p	Cloudy	32°0° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	32°0°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from WNW, gusts 6 mph9 km/h	74%	85%	0
Sun 11p	Cloudy	31°−1° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	31°−1°	0%	1 mph2 km/h from WNW, gusts 5 mph9 km/h	77%	93%	0
Mon 12a	Cloudy	31°−1° (likely 25°−4° to 32°0°)	31°−1°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	77%	94%	0
Mon 1a	Cloudy	31°−1° (likely 27°−3° to 32°0°)	31°−1°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	76%	91%	0
Mon 2a	Cloudy	30°−1° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	30°−1°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph7 km/h	78%	94%	0
Mon 3a	Cloudy	29°−2° (likely 26°−3° to 32°0°)	29°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	80%	97%	0
Mon 4a	Cloudy	29°−2° (likely 25°−4° to 31°−1°)	29°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	81%	95%	0
Mon 5a	Cloudy	28°−2° (likely 25°−4° to 31°−1°)	28°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	83%	93%	0
Mon 6a	Cloudy	26°−3° (likely 25°−4° to 32°0°)	26°−3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	83%	73%	0
Mon 7a	Partly cloudy	27°−3° (likely 24°−4° to 31°−1°)	27°−3°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	80%	61%	0
Mon 8a	Cloudy	28°−2° (likely 24°−4° to 30°−1°)	28°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	82%	85%	0
Mon 9a	Cloudy	28°−2° (likely 25°−4° to 34°1°)	28°−2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph5 km/h	86%	87%	0
Mon 10a	Cloudy	31°−1° (likely 28°−2° to 38°3°)	31°−1°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 3 mph4 km/h	85%	84%	1
Mon 11a	Cloudy	35°2° (likely 31°−1° to 41°5°)	35°2°	0%	0 mph0 km/h, gusts 4 mph6 km/h	82%	82%	2
Mon 12p	Cloudy	38°3° (likely 34°1° to 43°6°)	36°2°	5%	3 mph5 km/h from ESE, gusts 5 mph8 km/h	78%	74%	3

Days ahead

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

Today, Oct 24. Mostly sunny. High 42°6°, low 26°−3°. Typical 53°12° / 30°−1°. Dry. Mostly agree.
1. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 42°6°
  Dry
2. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Partly cloudy, 37°3°
  Dry
3. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Clear, 29°−2°
  Dry
Official NWS forecast
Today: Sunny, with a high near 42. East northeast wind around 3 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low around 26, with temperatures rising to around 29 overnight. West wind 0 to 3 mph.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
39°4°–42°6°
Low, likely
17°−8°–26°−3°
Typical high / low
53°12° / 30°−1°
Wind
7 mph12 km/h, gusts 15 mph24 km/h
UV peak
4
Tomorrow, Oct 25. Cloudy. High 38°3°, low 25°−4°. Typical 53°12° / 30°−1°. Dry. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Partly sunny, 26°−3°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Mostly sunny, 38°3°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 34°1°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Cloudy, 28°−2°
  Dry
Official NWS forecast
Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. North northwest wind 0 to 3 mph.
Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. North northwest wind around 2 mph.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
36°2°–39°4°
Low, likely
24°−4°–32°0°
Typical high / low
53°12° / 30°−1°
Wind
6 mph10 km/h, gusts 11 mph18 km/h
UV peak
2
Monday, Oct 26. Mostly cloudy. High 46°8°, low 33°1°. Typical 52°11° / 30°−1°. Dry. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 28°−2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 46°8°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 37°3°
  30% chance · 0.01 in0.3 mm
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Drizzle, 36°2°
  40% chance · 0.03 in0.8 mm
Official NWS forecast
Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Northeast wind 0 to 3 mph.
Night: A chance of rain before midnight, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. South southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
44°7°–48°9°
Low, likely
23°−5°–33°1°
Typical high / low
52°11° / 30°−1°
Wind
6 mph9 km/h
UV peak
4
Tuesday, Oct 27. Drizzle. High 46°8°, low 29°−2°. Typical 52°11° / 29°−2°. Rain 0.05 in1.3 mm, 50% chance. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 40°4°
  40% chance
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 47°8°
  30% chance
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 38°4°
  20% chance
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Mostly clear, 31°−1°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: A chance of rain and snow before 9am, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. West southwest wind 5 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Night: A slight chance of rain before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. West southwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
45°7°–49°9°
Low, likely
29°−2°–37°3°
Typical high / low
52°11° / 29°−2°
Wind
18 mph28 km/h, gusts 37 mph59 km/h
UV peak
3
Wednesday, Oct 28. Partly sunny. High 46°8°, low 28°−2°. Typical 51°11° / 29°−2°. Dry. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Sunny, 29°−1°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Mostly sunny, 48°9°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 37°3°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Mostly clear, 29°−2°
  Dry
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.
Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
46°8°–49°9°
Low, likely
24°−4°–33°1°
Typical high / low
51°11° / 29°−2°
Wind
13 mph21 km/h, gusts 27 mph43 km/h
UV peak
3
Thursday, Oct 29. Snow. High 43°6°, low 28°−2°. Typical 51°11° / 28°−2°. Snow 0.03 in0.8 mm, 10% chance. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Mostly sunny, 29°−2°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 43°6°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 34°1°
  30% chance · 0.02 in0.4 mm
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Cloudy, 28°−2°
  40% chance · 0.1 in0.3 cm
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 43.
Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
40°4°–46°8°
Low, likely
23°−5°–32°0°
Typical high / low
51°11° / 28°−2°
Wind
7 mph11 km/h, gusts 15 mph24 km/h
UV peak
3
Friday, Oct 30. Snow. High 43°6°, low 27°−3°. Typical 50°10° / 28°−2°. Snow 0–2 in0–5 cm, 30% chance. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 28°−2°
  30% chance · 0.2 in0.4 cm
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Fog, 37°3°
  30% chance
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Drizzle, 31°0°
  20% chance · 0.05 in1.2 mm
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Cloudy, 25°−4°
  20% chance
Hours this far out come from computer models only.
Official NWS forecast
Day: A chance of snow before 3pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 43.
Night: A slight chance of rain and snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Forecasts differIndependent forecasts disagree; expect changes and plan for the range.
High, likely
33°1°–43°6°
Low, likely
23°−5°–30°−1°
Typical high / low
50°10° / 28°−2°
Wind
6 mph9 km/h, gusts 17 mph27 km/h
UV peak
2
Saturday, Oct 31. Cloudy. High 37°3°, low 23°−5°. Typical 50°10° / 28°−2°. Rain 0.02 in0.5 mm, 20% chance. Mostly agree.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Partly sunny, 25°−4°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 36°2°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Clear, 30°−1°
  Dry
4. Overnight
  midnight–6 AM
  Cloudy, 29°−2°
  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.
Mostly agreeIndependent forecasts are fairly close; small surprises are possible.
High, likely
35°2°–40°4°
Low, likely
11°−12°–30°−1°
Typical high / low
50°10° / 28°−2°
Wind
19 mph31 km/h, gusts 24 mph39 km/h
UV peak
3
Sunday, Nov 1. Cloudy. High 43°6°, low 28°−2°. Typical 49°9° / 27°−3°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Partly sunny, 32°0°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Sunny, 42°6°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Mostly clear, 37°3°
  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
38°3°–46°8°
Low, likely
27°−3°–32°0°
Typical high / low
49°9° / 27°−3°
Wind
20 mph32 km/h, gusts 34 mph55 km/h
UV peak
3
Monday, Nov 2. Cloudy. High 45°7°, low 31°−1°. Typical 49°9° / 27°−3°. Dry. Forecasts differ.
1. Morning
  6 AM–noon
  Cloudy, 38°4°
  Dry
2. Afternoon
  noon–6 PM
  Cloudy, 45°7°
  Dry
3. Evening
  6 PM–midnight
  Cloudy, 37°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
38°3°–52°11°
Low, likely
29°−2°–33°1°
Typical high / low
49°9° / 27°−3°
Wind
13 mph20 km/h, gusts 45 mph73 km/h
UV peak
2

10 days15 days30 days

The outlook

Today
Dry, high 42°, low 26°.
Tomorrow
Dry, high 38°, low 25°, cooling off.
Monday
Dry, high 46°, low 33°, warming up.
Rest of week
Highs 37–46°; chance of precipitation on Tuesday.

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

Tenmile Creek (MT) near Helena

1.4 mi

Below flood stage

Level: 2.8 ft
Flow: 50 cfs

Reading from Sat 11:15 AM · NWS gauge page

Tenmile Creek (MT) near Rimini

8.3 mi

Level: 1.8 ft
Flow: 12 cfs

Reading from Sat 11:45 AM · NWS gauge page

Prickly Pear Creek near Clancy

9.7 mi

Level: 1.0 ft
Flow: 41 cfs

Reading from Sat 11:30 AM · NWS gauge page

Missouri River at Helena Valley Reservoir

12 mi

Below flood stage

Level: 3818 ft

Reading from Sat 11:15 AM · NWS gauge page

For your home

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

Heating this week

About 63% less heating than a typical week.

This week 63Typical 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 18 hours are near freezing and damp, when outdoor units defrost more often.

Comfort

Dry air outside (dew point 27°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?

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

Oct 24, today vs a typical year

Today’s expected high is 11°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 West Side weather by month: normals, records, snow and freeze dates

Sun & moon

Sun

Daylight: 10 h 27 min; Losing 3 min 8 s a day; shortest Dec 21, 1 h 53 min less
Golden hour: 5:43–6:44 PM; Morning 7:39–8:41 AM
Blue hour: 6:44–6:56 PM; Morning 7:28–7:39 AM; first light 7:28 AM

Stars tonight? Fair

Mostly clear 10 PM–6 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 southwest from Helena West Side. The highest point on the skyline is about 8,100 ft, 11 mi away.Skyline from USGS elevation data, heights drawn up to 3.5× taller. Sky, sun and moon as they are now.