The beauty of Montana's weather system is that whether it is hot or cold, Montana is dry, and therefore, neither oppressively hot nor oppressively cold. Average annual precipitation is 15 inches, varying from 9.69 to more than 100 inches. Average daytime temperatures vary from 28 degrees in January to 84.5 degrees in July. Visitors to the state might want to bring a variety of clothes to stay abreast of the quickly changing weather in Montana. Montana is seldom consistently hot or cold.
Every season holds surprises.
Montanans dress in layers so they can peel clothes off or add them on. Montana is a vast state of mountains, canyons, river valleys, forests, grassy plains, badlands, and caverns. The Big Sky Country encompasses a land area of more than 147,000 square miles, making Montana the fourth largest state in the nation. The lowest point is in northwestern Montana where the Kootenai River leaves Montana at 1,800 feet. The Continental Divide runs along the crests of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico.