Montana ยท season guide
Sledding season in Billings
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Billings Intl. Airport weather station, about 1 miles from the middle of our Billings hill list show October as the first month that averages an inch of snow or more (4.5 inches). The normals are monthly averages, so they can't give a first-snow date. Some years come early, some late.
October snow is part of the record here: the normal for that month is 4.5 inches.
January is the snowiest month on average, at 10.6 inches.
Across a normal year the station records about 57.4 inches of snow. That puts Billings at 26 of 98 metros on this site, ranked from snowiest down.
Snow doesn't sit around long, though. Only about 55 days a year have an inch or more on the ground, which is low for this much snowfall. Go soon after a storm.
For comparison, Bozeman, the nearest metro on our list, averages 37.2 inches, less than here.
All 5 hills we list here come from local sources rather than the park or city; sources call rimpoint park gentle; phipps park is described as steep.
Month by month
| Month | Average snowfall | Days with 1 inch or more of new snow | Days with 1 inch or more on the ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 4.5 inches | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| November | 6.5 inches | 2.2 | 6.5 |
| December | 9.8 inches | 3.1 | 12.4 |
| January | 10.6 inches | 3.1 | 15.8 |
| February | 9.1 inches | 3.0 | 9.4 |
| March | 8.2 inches | 2.7 | 6.6 |
| April | 7.5 inches | 2.2 | 2.3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, station USW00024033. "Not stated by source" means NOAA publishes no value for that station.
Lit hills
None of the sources we used for Billings mention lights on a sledding hill. Plan on daylight, and see our national lit hills list if you're travelling.
Local rules
- City parks are open 5am to 10pm. Source
Short answers
When does it usually start snowing in Billings?
In NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Billings Intl. Airport station, October is the first month averaging an inch of snow or more. The normals are monthly averages, not a date.
How much snow does Billings get in a year?
About 57.4 inches a year at the Billings Intl. Airport station, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
Are there lit sledding hills in Billings?
None of the sources we used mention lights. Plan on daylight.
Updated