Billings weather in October

In October, Billings sees average daytime highs of 59°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 1.8 in of precipitation across 7.2 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 65°F in the first days to 52°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of October to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Billings's 4th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Billings's year-round climate.

Daytime high
59°
6th warmest
Overnight low
38°
7th coldest
Precipitation
1.8 in
7.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:39 AM – 5:19 PM
Cloud cover
52%
4th clearest
Wind
7 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.0
out of 10

Billings is city in and county seat of Yellowstone County, Montana, United States.

Density
1,039/km²
people per km²
Founded
1877

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 65°F in the first days to 52°F by the end.

A typical October day in Billings reaches about 59°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 43°F and 74°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 15°F cooler than September and about 14°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16743
26643
36543
46542
56442
66441
76341
86340
96240
106240
116139
126139
136039
146038
156038
165938
175937
185837
195837
205736
215736
225635
235635
245535
255534
265434
275433
285333
295232
305232
315131

How October really feels in Billings

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 15 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
15
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Billings weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 18°0.95.75.88.90.0
Feb39° / 20°0.865.410.10.0
Mar49° / 27°1.27.14.311.62.1
Apr58° / 35°2.310.83.813.34.0
May67° / 45°2.610.70.614.76.0
Jun77° / 53°2.19015.56.9
Jul87° / 60°0.94.9015.25.5
Aug86° / 58°0.73.9013.96.1
Sep74° / 49°1.45.50.212.37.6
Oct59° / 38°1.87.22.210.75.0
Nov45° / 27°0.95.93.59.31.2
Dec36° / 20°0.85.45.28.50.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 44%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
35941
45842
55842
65644
75644
85644
95545
105545
115545
125644
135644
145644
155644
165644
175743
185743
195743
205743
215743
225644
235644
245644
255644
265545
275545
285545
295446
305347
315248

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Billings gets around 1.8 in of rain and snow over 7.2 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 23% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1215
2215
3215
4226
5226
6226
7236
8236
9236
10236
11236
12236
13236
14236
15236
16236
17236
18236
19236
20236
21237
22237
23237
24237
25238
26238
27228
28228
29229
30229
31229

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in October

Winds average 7 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237light breeze
247light breeze
257light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of October to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 96 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:18 AM to 7:00 AM, and sunset from 5:48 PM to 4:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:185:48
211.46:205:46
311.46:215:44
411.36:225:42
511.36:245:40
611.26:255:38
711.26:265:36
811.16:285:34
911.16:295:32
1011.06:305:30
1110.96:325:28
1210.96:335:27
1310.86:355:25
1410.86:365:23
1510.76:375:21
1610.76:395:19
1710.66:405:18
1810.66:415:16
1910.56:435:14
2010.56:445:12
2110.46:465:11
2210.46:475:09
2310.36:495:07
2410.36:505:06
2510.26:515:04
2610.26:535:03
2710.16:545:01
2810.16:565:00
2910.06:574:58
3010.06:584:57
319.97:004:55

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.19 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.63 kWh/m² to a high of 7.37 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 3.19 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.6Moderate
83.6Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.5Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.4Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Billings?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.0
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.8
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Billings for sightseeing.

What to pack for Billings in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Billings sees daytime highs around 59°F and nights near 38°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Billings in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Billings peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 13UV 9Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep5High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Billings in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Billings is worst in August — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodGoodModerateGoodAug 1817 µg/m³Dec 157 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr11Good
May11Good
Jun12Good
Jul13Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Billings?

Billings sits at 45.8°N, 108.5°W, 3,123 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Sheridan, 101 mi away.

Topography around Billings

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Billings.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Billings has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 551 ft around an average of 3,196 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,096 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,050 ft.

The land around Billings is covered by artificial surfaces (38%), trees (28%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, grassland (69%) within 10 miles, and grassland (81%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
551 ft
10 miles
1,096 ft
50 miles
6,050 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Sheridan 101 mi · Bozeman 122 mi · Great Falls 178 mi · Helena 178 mi · Gillette 179 mi · Butte 194 mi · Rexburg 211 mi · Casper 229 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Billings (45.7833°, -108.5007°, elevation 3,123 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).