Helena in Fall
In fall (September, October and November), Helena sees average daytime highs around 52°F and overnight lows near 31°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation over about 23 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the 3rd-wettest season.
Over the season highs ease from about 73°F in early September to 31°F by late November. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time across fall, and the air most often feels dry.
Fall is Helena's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Helena's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 52°F
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 31°F
- Precipitation
- 4.3 in
- 23 wet days
- Avg wind
- 5 mph
- Travel score
- 3.2
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Sep · Oct · Nov
Temperature in Helena in Fall
Over the season highs ease from about 73°F in early September to 31°F by late November.
A typical fall day in Helena reaches about 52°F and drops to 31°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is September, the coolest November.
How fall really feels in Helena
Once humidity and wind are folded in, fall brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 59 that feel at or below 32°F.
The story in fall is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Helena weather by month
How the three fall months (September, October and November) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 12° | 0.9 | 7 | 7.6 | 8.8 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 31° / 13° | 0.9 | 7 | 7.6 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 39° / 20° | 1.4 | 9.7 | 7.7 | 11.6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 48° / 28° | 2.4 | 11.9 | 7.2 | 13.3 | 1.7 |
| May | 59° / 37° | 3.2 | 13.8 | 2.7 | 14.8 | 4.0 |
| Jun | 67° / 44° | 3.8 | 13.5 | 0.6 | 15.6 | 5.7 |
| Jul | 78° / 50° | 1.7 | 8.8 | 0 | 15.2 | 7.2 |
| Aug | 78° / 49° | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0.1 | 14 | 7.4 |
| Sep | 67° / 42° | 1.6 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 12.4 | 6.7 |
| Oct | 52° / 32° | 1.5 | 8.3 | 3.8 | 10.7 | 2.9 |
| Nov | 37° / 21° | 1.2 | 7.7 | 6.2 | 9.2 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 27° / 12° | 1.1 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 0.0 |
Cloud cover in Fall
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time across fall.
Chance of precipitation in Fall
Helena gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 23 wet days across fall. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Fall
Most of fall feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Fall
Winds average 5 mph across fall.
Sunrise & sunset in Fall
Daylight runs from about 13 h 12 min in early September to 8 h 42 min by late November. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Fall
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across fall, about 3.3 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Helena
None of Helena's seasonal hazards peak in fall. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Helena's rainy season runs April–June, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is fall a good time to visit Helena?
Our two travel scores rate fall for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
fall is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Helena.
What to pack for Helena in Fall
From fall's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In fall, Helena sees daytime highs around 52°F and nights near 31°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 23 days see rain.
UV index in Helena in Fall
Clear-sky midday UV across fall averages around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Helena peaks around July 15 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Low |
| Feb | 2 | Low |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 5 | Moderate |
| May | 7 | High |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 7 | Very high |
| Sep | 5 | High |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Air quality in Helena in Fall
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where fall falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Helena is worst in August — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.1× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 11 | Good |
| May | 11 | Good |
| Jun | 9 | Good |
| Jul | 23 | Moderate |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 17 | Moderate |
| Oct | 8 | Good |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Where is Helena?
Helena sits at 46.6°N, 112.0°W, 4,058 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Butte, 47 mi away.
Topography around Helena
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Helena.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Helena has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,588 ft around an average of 4,219 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,481 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,729 ft.
The land around Helena is covered by artificial surfaces (45%), trees (28%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, grassland (53%) and trees (31%) within 10 miles, and grassland (53%) and trees (42%) within 50 miles.
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
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 Helena (46.5927°, -112.0361°, elevation 4,058 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.