Billings, MT – Montana may head into a colder and wetter pattern during the Thanksgiving travel window, as long-range federal outlooks continue to show above-normal precipitation statewide from November 23 through November 29.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 Day Outlook released Saturday, all of Montana sits in a 40–50% probability zone favoring wetter-than-normal conditions. The state is also positioned beneath one of the strongest early-season cold pools in the northern Rockies—a combination that often supports widespread early-season snowfall.
Western Montana—including Missoula, Kalispell, and the Bitterroot and Flathead regions—typically sees early-season snow when these patterns set up. Cold air and topography help enhance snow chances as Pacific systems move inland.
Across southwest Montana, cities such as Bozeman, Big Sky, and Helena may see mixed precipitation or periods of wet snow depending on timing and storm track. Elevation differences could also lead to rapidly changing travel conditions, especially on passes like Bozeman Pass and Homestake Pass.
Central and eastern Montana, including Billings, Great Falls, and Miles City, remain firmly in the elevated precipitation zone. Temperatures here will likely be cold enough at times for systems to produce light to moderate snow, particularly overnight and during the early-morning hours.
Thanksgiving week brings heavier travel along I-90, I-15, and U.S. 2, and even moderate snowfall can lead to slowdowns across the state’s long stretches of rural interstate and mountain terrain. Air travel may also face impacts at regional hubs in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula if mixed precipitation arrives during peak holiday departure periods.
Forecasters note that exact snowfall totals and system timing will become clearer early next week as short-range models begin resolving individual storms.
Travelers across Montana should monitor updated forecasts as the Thanksgiving period approaches.
