PlainHazard

Montana heat

Every recorded heat record since 1996 · 22 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 65 heat records in Montana from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 8.1 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the August 17, 2011 heat in Big Horn County: 1 death. Montana ranks 46th of 51 states and territories by count and 48th of 50 per square mile.

Heat in Montana, 1996 to 2026

Heat records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
651996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
8.1average
Deaths
20 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
–as filed
Busiest year
200316 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are heat records common in Montana?

Montana averages about 8.1 heat records a year since 2000, 46th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2003 (16). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Montana records 4.5 heat records since 1996, 48th of 50 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. New Jersey 2320
  2. 2. Delaware 1555
  3. 3. Maryland 1330
  4. 4. Oklahoma 685
  5. 5. Illinois 590
  6. 6. Mississippi 584
  7. 7. Louisiana 576
  8. 8. Missouri 547
  9. 9. Tennessee 540
  10. 10. Puerto Rico 537
  11. 48. Montana 4.5

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Montana have the most heat records?

Per square mile, Wibaux County leads Montana: 3 days with a heat record since 1996, 3.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Missoula County has the most heat records (11 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. Wibaux County 3.4 (3)
  2. Mineral County 3.3 (4)
  3. Missoula County 2.7 (11)
  4. Lake County 2.7 (6)
  5. Sanders County 2.2 (11)
  6. Dawson County 2.1 (5)
  7. Daniels County 2.1 (3)
  8. Ravalli County 2.1 (5)
  9. Prairie County 1.7 (3)
  10. Richland County 1.4 (3)
  11. Roosevelt County 1.3 (5)
  12. Petroleum County 1.2 (2)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the heat season in Montana?

95% of its heat records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (33 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 3 · Jul 33 · Aug 29 · Sep 0 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest heat records in Montana?

Montana: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2011-08-17 HeatBig Horn County · forecast zone Northern Big Horn Big Horn County Coroner reported that a 3-year-old boy died after being left in a parked car for several hours in Hardin. The boy died during the late afternoon hours when temperatures were in the lower 90s. 1 0 –
2018-06-26 Excessive HeatDawson County · forecast zone Dawson The Billings Gazette newspaper reported that a 2 year old male child suffered death by heatstroke hyperthermia after being left in a vehicle through the middle of the day in Glendive on June 26th. The high temperature was 83 degrees, but likely reached 125 degrees inside the enclosed vehicle. Alcohol played a part in ... 1 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

Are heat records becoming more frequent in Montana?

Montana's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Heat: Montana and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeMontanaUnited StatesMontana's share
1996-9904,3550
2000s389,1630.41%
2010s1416,4450.09%
2020-261326,7960.05%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent heat records in Montana

The 2 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2018-06-26 Excessive HeatDawson County · forecast zone Dawson 1 0 –
2011-08-17 HeatBig Horn County · forecast zone Northern Big Horn 1 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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