A boat in Montana is laid up for about 5 months a year at Billings, and the median first 32°F night arrives September 26 at Missoula (NOAA 1991-2020). 22 boat storage facilities are listed in Montana, 19 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Billings high / low | boat | Billings snow | Missoula high / low | boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36° / 18° | laid up | 10.6 in | 32° / 18° | laid up |
| Feb | 39° / 20° | laid up | 9.1 in | 37° / 21° | laid up |
| Mar | 49° / 27° | laid up | 8.2 in | 48° / 27° | laid up |
| Apr | 57° / 35° | launch or haul-out | 7.5 in | 56° / 32° | launch or haul-out |
| May | 67° / 44° | launch or haul-out | 0.9 in | 66° / 40° | launch or haul-out |
| Jun | 77° / 52° | in the water | 0.0 in | 73° / 46° | in the water |
| Jul | 87° / 59° | in the water | 0.0 in | 85° / 52° | in the water |
| Aug | 86° / 58° | in the water | 0.0 in | 84° / 50° | in the water |
| Sep | 74° / 49° | in the water | 0.3 in | 73° / 42° | launch or haul-out |
| Oct | 59° / 37° | launch or haul-out | 4.5 in | 56° / 32° | launch or haul-out |
| Nov | 46° / 27° | laid up | 6.5 in | 40° / 25° | laid up |
| Dec | 36° / 19° | laid up | 9.8 in | 31° / 18° | laid up |
Boat column rule: in the water at a 65°F high and 45°F low or warmer; launch or haul-out from a 52°F high; laid up below.
By that rule a boat at Billings has 4 months in the water (June to September), 3 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up. By that rule a boat at Missoula has 3 months in the water (June to August), 4 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up.
Montana is hard-freeze country: Billings logs about 141.5 nights at or below 32°F and 39.5 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the engine block, raw-water passages, outdrive and plumbing.
22 live listings in 10 cities; by listed type: 19 indoor, 19 covered and 22 outdoor (types overlap). No Montana boat storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman Montana Storage | Bozeman | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| The Barge Whitefish | Whitefish | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Snowbird Storage | Bigfork | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Park IT Storage | Whitefish | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Slate Storage | Bozeman | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Big Horn Storage Billings | Billings | indoor, outdoor, covered | security cameras, gated entry | Jet Ski |
| Great Falls Storage | Great Falls | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Flathead Lake Private Harbor | Snowberg Court | outdoor | ||
| Grant Creek Self Storage | Missoula | outdoor | ||
| Highway 89 Storage | Great Falls | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski |
| City | Boat Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Missoula | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Bozeman | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Great Falls | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Whitefish | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Bigfork | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Columbia Falls | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kalispell | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Snowberg Court | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Wye | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is October 7 at Billings and September 26 at Missoula; winterize by September 12, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our boat rule Billings stays in the water through September and Missoula through August, then 3 months of launch or haul-out follow at Billings. 19 Montana listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
5 at Billings (October to May) and 5 at Missoula (September to May), plus 3 and 4 months of launch or haul-out. Those laid up months hold 44.2 of the 57.4 inches of snow Billings averages a year (77%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Billings a boat is in the water from June to September (4 months), against 3 at Missoula.
Of 22 live Montana listings, 19 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 22 outdoor and 19 covered. By city: Billings (5 listed, 5 indoor), Missoula (4 listed, 3 indoor), Bozeman (3 listed, 3 indoor) and Great Falls (3 listed, 3 indoor). Most indoor listings: Billings (5), Missoula (3) and Bozeman (3). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 10 cities in all.
At Billings, 5 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them laid up months by our boat rule. Billings logs 141.5 nights at or below 32°F and 12.8 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 17.9°F and is laid up for a boat.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is May 4 at Billings and May 16 at Missoula; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around April 21 and May 2. Our rule makes June the first month in the water at Billings and June at Missoula. That month Billings averages a 52.4°F low and a 77.0°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Montana boat storage listings span 10 cities, led by Billings (5 listed), Missoula (4 listed), Bozeman (3 listed), Great Falls (3 listed) and Whitefish (2 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Billings (5 outdoor) and Missoula (4 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 22 list outdoor, 19 covered and 19 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before September 26.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00024033, USW00024153); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).