Summit forecast, next 72 hours
- New snow0 in
- Strongest gusts30 mphMonday
- Coldest41°F
| Forecast | Snow | Gusts | Temp °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| TonightMostly Clear | 0 in | 25 mph | Low 41° |
| SaturdayMostly Sunny | 0 in | 10 mph | High 60° |
| Saturday NightPartly Cloudy | 0 in | 10 mph | Low 40° |
| SundaySunny | 0 in | 15 mph | High 69° |
| Sunday NightMostly Clear | 0 in | 15 mph | Low 47° |
| MondayMostly Sunny | 0 in | 30 mph | High 71° |
Snow is the forecast new accumulation at the summit grid point. Dots use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
Typical weather by month
Monthly normals from the long-term stations nearest the summit. None sits exactly on the pass, so each column says how far away and how high it is.
| Month | Elliston 5,080 ft · 6 mi west of the summit | Austin 4,851 ft · 6 mi north of the summit |
|---|---|---|
| High / low °F | High / low °F | |
| Jan | 33° / 11° | 30° / 13° |
| Feb | 33° / 12° | 32° / 13° |
| Mar | 43° / 19° | 42° / 19° |
| Apr | 51° / 26° | 50° / 26° |
| May | 60° / 35° | 60° / 35° |
| Jun | 69° / 41° | 68° / 42° |
| Jul | 81° / 46° | 78° / 49° |
| Aug | 80° / 44° | 78° / 47° |
| Sep | 69° / 36° | 67° / 39° |
| Oct | 53° / 27° | 51° / 30° |
| Nov | 39° / 17° | 37° / 20° |
| Dec | 31° / 10° | 29° / 13° |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: ELLISTON (USC00242738, 5,080 ft); AUSTIN 1 W (USC00240375, 4,851 ft). Snow days are days with at least 1 inch of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Cameras, road reports and winter rules
Conditions on the pass change by the hour, so these go straight to the official sources.
- Montana · MDT511MT road conditions
Check the official National Weather Service forecast for the summit and the road report before you leave.
Crossing MacDonald Pass? See the summit at the hour you’ll be there
Road Travel times the forecast to your drive, so you see conditions at the summit when you will actually reach it, and get alerts about weather ahead on the way.
Questions about MacDonald Pass
How high is MacDonald Pass?
The summit is 6,312 ft above sea level, on US-12.
How far is MacDonald Pass from Helena and Elliston?
By road, the summit is 16 miles from Helena, MT and 6 miles from Elliston, MT.
What is the wettest month at MacDonald Pass?
June. The Elliston snow-monitoring site (5,080 ft, 6 mi west of the summit) averages 2.8 inches of precipitation that month, counting the water in melted snow (1991–2020 normals).
How cold does it get near MacDonald Pass?
The coldest month is December. Elliston (5,080 ft, 6 mi west of the summit) averages a low of 10°F then (1991–2020 normals); the summit is 1,232 ft higher.