我們稱蒙大拿為「The last, best place (最後，但最美好的地方)」是有充分依據的，而這裡的氣候便是人們湧向蒙大拿的原因之一。米蘇拉校區的氣溫舒適宜人，相較於東部，蒙大拿西部的氣候更加溫和，這裡冬暖夏涼，微風栩栩，降雨全年分佈平均且雨量少，沒有雨季。大部分降雨集中在5月到7月之間，每年平均降雨量約為45厘米。7、8月時通常有短暫的午後雷陣雨，待雨後天氣就會涼快下來。

雖然蒙大拿的冬天一般很冷，但幾乎不會持續太久，因為溫暖、乾燥的欽諾克風會調和寒冷的天氣，帶來持續10天或更長的溫暖氣候。蒙大拿州落磯山脈區的年降雪量最高可到300英寸（7.62公尺），但在米蘇拉市，年平均降雪量僅約30英寸（76公分）。

米蘇拉的平均天氣

Montana's Climate

There is a reason that we call Montana “The last, best place.” Our climate is one of the reasons people flock to the state. Temperatures on our campus in Missoula stay fairly mild. The western part of the state tends to have a milder climate than the east, with warmer winters, cooler summers, lighter winds and rainfall that is more evenly distributed through the year. Rainfall is generally light, with no rainy season. Most of the rain in the state falls between May and July. Average rainfall is about 45 centimeters a year. During July and August, brief mid-day thunderstorms are common and help cool the air.

Winters in Montana, while usually cold, have few extended cold spells. Montana’s cold spells are frequently interrupted by warm, dry chinook winds that cause mild periods that may last for 10 days or more. Annual snowfall in Montana can reach up to 300 inches 7.62 meters in the Rocky Mountains, but here in Missoula we average about 30 inches 76 centimeters a year.

Average Weather Year Round in Missoula