I-90 · MT
I-90 across Montana: road conditions right now
Missoula, MT to Billings, MT
I-90 between Missoula and Billings crosses Homestake Pass (6,329 ft) east of Butte and Bozeman Pass (5,712 ft) before dropping to the Yellowstone Valley. Both passes get chain restrictions and closures, and the Livingston stretch has the strongest highway crosswinds in the state.
Conditions at Sat, 1:00 AM MDT
Highest risk along I-90: 4 of 5 (high), departing at that time.
- No active NWS alerts on this route.
The road authority linked below has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
30 min of high risk, worst between Belgrade, MT and Livingston, MT (icy patches)
Time in weather: 30 min high · 1 h moderate · 3 h 6 min clear
Conditions: Partly cloudy, Mostly cloudy, Clear with periodic clouds and more
Checkpoints along I-90
| Where | You pass | Weather | Risk | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula, MT | Sat 1:00 AM | 39°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Clinton, MT | Sat 1:30 AM | 37°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Deer Lodge, MT | Sat 2:00 AM | 35°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Butte, MT | Sat 2:30 AM | 34°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Whitehall, MT | Sat 3:00 AM | 35°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Belgrade, MT | Sat 3:30 AM | 36°F | high | Likely rain near freezing (36°F) — icy patches likely on bridges and shaded stretches · Sources differ: NWS says Patchy Fog at 33°F |
| Livingston, MT | Sat 4:00 AM | 36°F | moderate | Chance of wintry mix at 36°F — slush and ice · Chance of snow at 36°F |
| Big Timber, MT | Sat 4:30 AM | 35°F | moderate | Chance of rain near freezing (35°F) — icy patches likely on bridges and shaded stretches · Chance of wintry mix at 35°F — slush and ice |
| Columbus, MT | Sat 5:00 AM | 35°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Billings, MT | Sat 5:30 AM – 5:36 AM | 35°F | low | Sources differ: NWS says Chance Rain Showers at 35°F |
Why this stretch is hard in winter
- Homestake Pass and Bozeman Pass ice up first; MDT posts chain requirements for trucks and sometimes all vehicles.
- Livingston to Big Timber: wind gusts over 70 mph flip trailers and campers on I-90 every winter.
- Freezing fog in the Deer Lodge and Gallatin valleys on calm cold mornings.
What this page checks
- Hourly forecast at every checkpoint for the time you would be there: temperature, precipitation type and rate, gusts, visibility.
- Active National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories on the route.
- Snow on the ground (NOAA SNODAS) and the Weather Prediction Center winter impact outlook.
- Pavement temperature and surface state from state DOT road sensors, when you are leaving within a few hours.
- Chain controls, closures, and winter road condition reports from state DOT feeds where they are published openly.
- Seasonal closures of mountain roads the router might otherwise use.
Official sources for this corridor
Questions drivers ask about I-90
- How bad is the wind near Livingston?
- Bad enough that MDT posts high-wind warnings specifically for I-90 between Livingston and Big Timber, and the NWS issues High Wind Warnings there dozens of times a year. This page shows forecast gusts for each checkpoint and any active warning.
Conditions change by the hour. This page is a planning aid built on public forecasts and DOT feeds; the road authority linked above has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Other corridors: I-80 across Wyoming · I-70 through the Colorado mountains · I-80 over Donner Pass · I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass · I-84 through the Blue Mountains · I-15 over Cajon Pass · all corridors