Columbus, Montana Weather
Columbus, Montana — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, aviation weather, radar and satellite imagery for Columbus, Stillwater County.
Flight conditions near Columbus. Data source: locating…
About Columbus, Montana
Columbus lies cradled by the imposing grandeur of the Absaroka and Beartooth mountain ranges, their snow-capped peaks often a stark, white punctuation against the vast, cerulean Montana sky. It lies 37.6 miles west-south-west of Billings, MT (from Billings, MT: bearing 255°T), and is situated 12.2 miles north-east of Absarokee. Here, the Yellowstone River, a ribbon of glacial melt and prairie runoff, carves its patient way through a landscape of rolling sagebrush flats and rugged foothills, its banks often fringed with cottonwoods whose leaves, in autumn, ignite in a riot of gold. The air itself carries a crisp, clean scent, a blend of sun-baked earth, pine needles from higher elevations, and the faint, sweet perfume of wild blossoms that cling tenaciously to the arid soil. Evenings here are a spectacle of light, as the setting sun bleeds across the western horizon, painting the clouds in hues of rose and amethyst, and casting long, dancing shadows that stretch and distort the familiar contours of the land. The enduring spirit of Columbus is deeply entwined with the Yellowstone River, a vital artery for both irrigation and transportation since the earliest days of settlement. Ranching and agriculture have long formed the backbone of its economy, with vast ranches extending across the fertile valleys, their herds of cattle a familiar sight against the sweeping vistas. Yet, the echoes of a more rugged past linger; the nearby mountains hold stories of mining booms and hardy prospectors, a history that subtly informs the resilient character of the people. Today, while agriculture remains paramount, tourism begins to weave its own thread into the town's fabric, drawing visitors to the natural beauty of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and the allure of Montana's wide-open spaces, a quiet invitation to experience a way of life shaped by the land and the enduring strength of its inhabitants.
Live animated radar for Columbus and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Columbus, Stillwater County, Montana |
| Coordinates | 45.636608°N, 109.252106°W |
| Timezone | Mountain Time (America/Denver) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 59019 |
| Area Code | 406 |
| Page generated | July 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Columbus, Montana Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Columbus, Montana, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, real-time aviation weather (live METAR and TAF reports from the nearest reporting airport, with a modeled estimate shown when no station is in range), precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Columbus includes coordinates 45.636608°N, 109.252106°W, situated in Stillwater County. ZIP code 59019. Telephone area code: 406. Timezone: Mountain Time (America/Denver).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. Aviation data is sourced from aviationweather.gov (NOAA), with a modeled estimate used where no nearby reporting station is available. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
