Thinking about Montana Think twice worst weather in Nation ! (Billings: job market, school)

[rckymtair123]

Hi,
I am writing this thread so hopefully you don't make the same mistake I have made.
I live in Billings Montana, which is suppose to be the best weather in Montana.
Well if you love winter, wind, snow and rain for 10-11 months out of the year then this is the place for you !
Alot of the locals will not admit to this but it is the truth the last few years this is the weather.

Jan-April 15 you have winter, yes the winter may not be as cold as some states but let me tell you when it is 20-30 degrees and the wind blows 40-50 miles per hour it is cold I dont care what anyone says. Then you get those days were it is 10 to 20 below and hangs on for a week which is cold this time of the year.

Around Mid April you get spring if your are lucky ! (if that is what you want to call it !) which this year we did not get yet, this usually lasts a week to 2 weeks which sometimes you can get up to 65 degrees and the wind still blows like hell but they call that spring ! This usually lasts a week to 2 weeks if you are lucky !

After spring you get what I call the 2nd winter season of Montana, the locals call it spring, this usually lasts from mid april to mid june sometimes goes up until July 4th (last year this crap lasted until the 2nd week of July) during this season (locals call it spring) (I call 2nd winter) temps will be 40-60 degrees with rain and clouds constant sometimes you will even get rain mixed with snow and wind (like we have today, 38 degrees for the high with 6 inches of snow forecasted), if it is not snowing it is raining and cold rain, you dont get thunderstorms in Montana (its to cold) the locals say you do, I havent seen them yet ! Its to cold ! During this period you may have a day or two were it may get nice but usually the wind is blowing like hell if it is nice ! Usually during this period the moisture is usually 80-90% as well so it is cold! This crappy 2nd winter usually lasts up until mid june or 1st or 2nd week into July.


Now for summer which starts usually end of june sometimes not until july during this period I have to say it is very nice temps are usually 70-90 degrees and the wind usually is not bad unless a cold front moves through ! Although keep in mind in Montana summer comes last and does not last very long usually lasts until 2nd week of August or 3rd week of August then winter comes ! Yes it can snow in August in Montana, it is not rare to see it ! Usually by the end of August you will see it snow !

Then from Sept. - April 15 you have winter agian.

If you like cold weather, wind, Snow, and Rain (no thunderstorms I havent seen a real thunderstorm since we have lived here for 10 years its to cold) if you like Winter 10 months out of the year this is the place for you !

This last year winter started in Sept. its now April 18 today we are having snow 6 inches and it is 38 degrees for the high we have had maybe one sunny day out of the last 10, the forecast is suppose to be 40-55 degrees rain and snow for the next 10 days yes this is what they call spring I call it winter it will last until mid to end june !

Then we will get spring and summer until mid August hopefully ! Then it all starts over agian.

[ElkHunter]

I think you would have figured it out before now. You've been there for 18 years.

You're idea of Billings weather has changed a little since you posted this in October of 2009:

Originally Posted by rckymtair123

Billings is a very nice town I have lived in the area for over 15 years their are planning of jobs and you can always find work, I think it is one of the very few cities that is doing good know. the lockwood area is nice, my favorite part of town is the west end. the only bad thing with Billings I feel is the weather. the past few years we have had winter start as earlier as october and last until almost into June (what global warming !!!!!) but that is Montana if you do not like the weather wait a few days it will change. I am just sick of winters, so I my self am looking for somewhere warmer that has the same thing Billings does, same population, same job market and so on.

If you like cold weather, wind, Snow, and Rain (no thunderstorms I havent seen a real thunderstorm since we have lived here for 10 years its to cold) if you like Winter 10 months out of the year this is the place for you !

Are you saying there was no lightning during the storm that destroyed the Complex last year?

How about on July 5 of 2009 when a Billings man was struck and killed by lightning?

Or just last Saturday, April 16th of 2011 the man was struck and killed by lightning?

Here's a showing lightning strikes in Billings Montana over the last few years: lightning strikes billings montana - Google Search

The climate data you claim is not even close to historical data recorded by NOAA which is located in, you guessed it, Billings Montana. They didn't even gather it from spotters, they are there.

Come on, you claim 10-11 months of Winter? You must have a real strange idea of seasons. Yes, Billings Montana is cold and sometimes windy. But I've been there hundreds, if not thousands of times when the weather was beautiful and not a problem with wind. No, I didn't live there, but still.

[bongo403]

That's a fairly accurate description of the seasons in Montana.

I do, however, beg to differ with a few of your points.

Originally Posted by rckymtair123

Jan-April 15 you have winter ....

Then from Sept. - April 15 you have winter agian.

You're depriving us a bit of winter here, as today is the 18th and I am watching big fluffy white flakes out my window as I type. But, you admit that later on in your post as well. I have a picture of my flower garden peeking out from a few inches of snow on Mother's day a few years ago, and a few years before that a heavy, wet, mid-June snowstorm wreaked havoc on Missoula.

Originally Posted by rckymtair123

I am writing this thread so hopefully you don't make the same mistake I have made.
I live in Billings Montana, which is suppose to be the best weather in Montana.
Well if you love winter, wind, snow and rain for 10-11 months out of the year then this is the place for you !
Alot of the locals will not admit to this but it is the truth the last few years this is the weather.

It's a little unfair to blame the locals for your misery. I, for one, try to warn anyone considering a move to Montana about our winters, and I see a lot of others on this forum do so as well. The last thing I want to do is encourage someone who can't handle the winter to move here. Honestly, I'm not fond of the eternal winter/spring/winter either, but I try to suck it up and face it with a sense of humor. That's easier to do when I don't have to listen to the constant whining of out-of-staters who expected something else.

I'm sorry our wonderful state has not lived up to your expectations, but I do appreciate your post. I hope it serves as a warning to others who consider moving here without extensive research and visits in all seasons.

[bongo403]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

How about on July 5 of 2009 when a Billings man was struck and killed by lightning?

I remember that - I was visiting Billings when that happened. I thought it was the 4th, though, during the fireworks show. I sat up on the rims that night and watched the fireworks and the lightning put on one heck of a simultaneous performance like I have rarely seen. I guess rckymtnair must have been out of town that weekend...

[magoomafoo]

Exactly "what" are we locals supposed to admit to? Your attitude towards the weather? I beg to differ but I don't mind the longer then average winters/spring. I'd rather have the cold then the heat. At least you can always put more layers on or feed the fire to stay warm. When it's hot there isn't a whole lot you can do other than stay cooped up with the air conditioner which defeats the purpose of outdoor recreation. As far as Billings having the best weather in Montana, again I disagree. The weather around the Mission Mountains is better than Billings. The Flathead Valley has it's own climate from Flathead Lake. Hence the reason why the fruit orchards are in abundance there.

[Threerun]

I frankly love the weather. I'll take a breezy *COLD* dry climate over the endless, humid, bug filled, steamy summers of the mid-atlantic states. Air so thick you sometimes gasp for a breath, sweat rolling down my brow by the pint by the minute. I had to do all my late spring to early fall chores by 10a.m. otherwise the heat and humidity would suck all the life out of me towards the narrow side of heat stroke..

So I guess the grass is greener. Move where I came from. Winter only lasts 4 months, but last year we got 98" of wet, heavy snow and the county to the east of us in the high mountains (3,500 ft) got over 280". No school in Preston county WV for a MONTH. Totally shut down that county.

Montana ain't that bad.

[Sabinerose]

rckymtair123 <--- needs to move away from the fabulous big sky state if they can't take the weather here.

[lynnethe]

funny.....i moved here from mn and found montana winters almost tropical compared to mn...(outside in a sweatshirt in feb.)the only thing that surprised me was the wind....oh...and the tumbleweeds

[Mt-7]

It does take some getting used to.
I think for me the only negatives over here are the icy isolated roads. Once I got enough of the proper clothes and food gear I adapted well. You get to know your neighbors and learn to trust strangers.
Let the OP continue, it is good for folks coming over to the oil work to really know what they have coming....and the weather IMO is harsher on the East MT/ West ND side.

[snofarmer]

X2

Every trip I make to MT the weather is nicer than it is at home. (We make it out there twice a year.
We just got back from a ski trip earlier this month)
It might get a little more windy in the high plains of MT but that's about it.

Us north central states do get some nice winter weather.

Originally Posted by lynnethe

funny.....i moved here from mn and found montana winters almost tropical compared to mn...(outside in a sweatshirt in feb.)the only thing that surprised me was the wind....oh...and the tumbleweeds