Missoula Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

How Often it Snows in Missoula

The next two tables list monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).

10-year snowfall averages at Missoula, 2010 to 2019

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
3.1	January	10.2	25.9
4.2	February	14.1	35.7
1.6	March	3.5	9.0
0.4	April	1.1	2.8
0.1	May	0.3	0.8
0.0	June	0.0	0.0
0.1	September	0.2	0.4
0.3	October	0.6	1.6
2.2	November	5.3	13.4
3.7	December	13.7	34.9
15.7	Year	49.1	124.6

30-year snowfall averages at Missoula, 1991 to 2020

Days		Inches	Centi­metres
9.7	January	9.9	25.1
8.1	February	8.5	21.6
4.9	March	5.0	12.7
1.5	April	1.3	3.3
0.3	May	0.3	0.8
0.1	June	0.0	0.0
0.0	September	0.1	0.3
0.8	October	0.9	2.3
5.2	November	5.4	13.7
9.5	December	11.6	29.5
40.1	Year	43.0	109.2

These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Missoula varies from year to year.

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 14.3 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 5.9 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 13.3 inches, while the lightest years get less than 5.9 inches.

New snow for February ranges from over 9.5 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 2.7 inches in light years.

When Missoula Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Missoula usually arrives in November. In one out of four years, October also gets some snow.

The snow season ends most often in April. About once every four years April has no snow, which moves the last snowfall to March. Although rare, a late snowfall can show up in May or June.

Missoula is normally free of snow each year from July to September.

How Many Snowstorms Missoula Gets

Two-thirds of the days with snowfall in Missoula amount to just a skiff, leaving less than an inch of fresh snow on the ground. For 14 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day occur just once or twice a year on average. Major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are not expected here.

Number of days per month and year on average in Missoula with a total snowfall of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches

1 inch 2.5 cm	3 inches 7.6 cm		5 inches 12.7 cm	10 inches 25.4 cm
3.3	0.8	January	0.2	0.0
2.8	0.7	February	0.3	0.0
1.7	0.4	March	0.1	0.0
0.5	0.1	April	0.0	0.0
0.1	0.0	May	0.0	0.0
0.2	0.1	October	0.1	0.0
1.9	0.5	November	0.2	0.0
3.3	1.2	December	0.4	0.0
13.8	3.8	Year	1.3	0.0

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Missoula

For about half of winter days, Missoula has at least an inch of snow on the ground.

Typically on four days a year the snow covering Missoula gets to ten or more inches deep.

Average total days per month and year in Missoula with snow depth of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches on the ground

1 inch 2.5 cm	3 inches 7.6 cm		5 inches 12.7 cm	10 inches 25.4 cm
19.9	15.3	January	9.7	1.8
14.1	7.7	February	5.4	0.9
4.8	2.4	March	1.5	0.5
0.4	0.1	April	0.0	0.0
0.5	0.2	October	0.2	0.1
4.7	2.0	November	0.7	0.1
16.2	8.6	December	4.6	0.5
60.6	36.3	Year	22.1	3.9