National Weather Service - Billings, MT

My interest in working for the National Weather Service started when I was very young while living in northern Wisconsin and experiencing severe thunderstorms.  My family received warnings from the National Weather Service through radio and television.  Hearing these warnings really piqued my interest in what the NWS does.  After my grandfather shared a cloud chart and weather forecasting booklet with me, I was hooked on meteorology for life.   

I started my NWS journey volunteering during my undergraduate studies in Meteorology at Northland College in Ashland Wisconsin. During this time I was also working as a casual-on-call wildland firefighter with the US Forest Service. I completed my Bachelors degree then started my Masters Degree in Meteorology at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. I volunteered at NWS Rapid City for a semester and was accepted into the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), now Pathways. I then moved into a Meteorologist position at NWS Rapid City after completing my Masters Degree. I then moved to NWS La Crosse Wisconsin then became Senior Meteorologist. After experiencing several extreme flash flooding events, I was interested in working more closely with our partners in the hydrology program, so I moved into the Service Hydrologist Position. A management position in the NWS had been a career long goal of mine so I applied and was selected for the Science and Operations Officer Position at NWS Billings. In the winter of 2023 our long-time Meteorologist in Charge retired. I saw an opportunity to stay in the beautiful state of Montana for the rest of my career and lead a great office so I applied and was selected as the next Meteorologist in Charge.  

My passion is serving our partners and citizens of the great states of Montana and Wyoming providing critical weather information to help make decisions.  

What are my hobbies? I have many and these change with the seasons of the northern climate.  They include hiking, hunting, ice skating, snowmobiling, camping, and Amateur Radio.     

After working in the banking industry from my late teens through 20s, I decided to pursue my passion of meteorology that I have had since I was very young. At the age of 8, I can recall the historic Super Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974 and the devasting F-5 tornado that hit Xenia, Ohio, only 30 miles from my home. As a kid, I kept a large laminated map of the United States and the state of Ohio on my bedroom wall where I would draw fronts and pressure systems, as well as place pins in the counties where real-time severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were being issued. I began my career in meteorology as a summer student volunteer for two summers before becoming a SCEP student at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Weather Forecast Office (WFO) while attending the University of Northern Colorado. Upon graduation in 2000, I was hired as an Intern at the NWS Billings WFO, and soon after, became a general forecaster. After 21 years as a forecaster, I assumed the role of the Observing Program Leader (OPL). All but my first 9 months in the Weather Service has been spent at WFO Billings.

I was fascinated with the many different types of weather growing up in Alaska, and when I chose to pursue a career in meteorology I learned quickly that it was a great decision. I began my career at the NWS offices at Boise, ID and Marquette, MI before settling at Billings, where I have been since 2005. The decision to come to Billings was easy. The weather here in the northern high plains is highly volatile in all seasons, which makes it challenging and FUN. Strong downslope winds and warm one day, an arctic front and 50° drop in temperatures the next, followed by a period of upslope snowfall, and finally the return of downslope winds and blowing snow…all in a matter of a few days. What more could you want? Oh yeah, a severe season that is second to none in Western Region (the best region), and plenty of fire weather. The complex terrain makes all facets of our job very interesting. I am lucky enough to call my job a hobby, and for that I will always be grateful. Outside of work I enjoy the many outdoor activities the area has to offer - hiking and camping with my kids at the top of the list. 

Hi everyone, I have grown up all over the United States but call Iowa home as I have lived there the majority of my life. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology in the Spring of 2023. I enjoy many different kinds of weather but I am most passionate and interested in fire weather. My path into the National Weather Service began in 2021, when I was a meteorology intern for the summer at the NWS Office in Missoula, MT. While there, I was able to get hands-on experience with the duties of a meteorologist in the NWS, and was able to get experience in fire weather. The following summer of 2022, I was a meteorology intern with Pathways once more but this time I spent it at WSO Pago Pago in American Samoa. This opportunity was well-out of my realm of interests and knowledge as spending a summer on a tropical island in the South Pacific, was as far away from my meteorological interests as I could get. The time, experience, and knowledge I had while there is immeasurable, whether it was the office staff, the public, or the partners, I learned so much about the culture and the importance of that office to the tens of thousands of people that rely on our work. Shortly after graduating in the Spring of 2023, I was hired as a full-time meteorologist here in Billings. I am very glad that I accepted this position as the office culture and staff are tremendous to work with and learn from. One thing I enjoy the most about the Billings area is the proximity to numerous outdoor activities, whether its Yellowstone National Park, the various mountain ranges surrounding the area, or the plentiful trails along the Rims.

Hi, I am William. After moving to the Chicago suburbs from Massachusetts at a very young age, I quickly fell in love with weather and meteorology. The two biggest events that I can remember that really made me even more interested in the world of meteorology, as well as the world of the National Weather Service, were the Rochelle-Fairdale tornado of 2015 and the Groundhog's Day Blizzard of 2011. I attended Valparaiso University and graduated with a B.S. in meteorology in May of 2024. While at Valpo I fell in love with impact based decision services and working with emergency managers and other partners. These continue to be my big passions to this day. As for my time with the NWS; I volunteered at the Aurora, IL CWSU in the summer of 2022 and then with the Chicago, IL WFO my senior year at Valpo. I was then hired full time here at Billings in November of 2024!

I have always been interested in what’s going on around me and how things work. I knew I wanted to go into science and easily chose meteorology when I got into high school. I graduated from University of Louisiana at Monroe with my Bachelors of Science in Atmospheric Science in May 2022. After graduation, I interned in Rapid City, South Dakota studying fire weather. While there, I learned about fire weather forecasting, conducted research, and worked with local fire partners to understand their world and what they do. During this process, I discovered how important a meteorologist's knowledge is to the world of fire weather. I decided to apply for the NWS knowing I could help people and continue to learn about fire weather. Since I started in April 2023, I have found that there are many opportunities to learn and different paths to take depending on your interests. I hope to continue to learn about the unique climatology of our area as well as expand my knowledge of fire weather forecasting.  Since I moved to Billings, I have enjoyed running on the local trails around town. I also like to take day trips to go hiking in the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains on the trails near Red Lodge. This area is a nice, peaceful getaway and is beautiful no matter what time of year!

NWS Billings staff members went to school all across the United States. Check out our various alma maters below!

NWS Billings serves the largest population center in the state of Montana and provides weather services for an area the size of Pennsylvania.

From the mountainous western and south-central regions to the plains in the east, NWS Billings covers a wide variety of climate and terrain.

Here in the City of Billings, the elevation ranges from 3100 to 3567 feet with the city being situated between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Because of this, the climate holds characteristics of both regions and is basically semi-arid.

Our location between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains also allows us to see all types of weather throughout the year.

From outreach to research, there are plenty of opportunities to pursue your interests here in Billings. These opportunities encompass all fields, from hydro to fire.

There are many direct flights out of KBIL (Billings Logan International Airport) throughout the year. Check out the map below to see the options currently available!

Government salaries are public knowledge. Click  here  to learn more about the local pay scale for Billings, MT (NWS Billings falls under "Rest of United States")

There are many other benefits that come with a government position. Below are some of those options.

•  Paid Parental Leave  (for 12 weeks)

•  Paid Annual Leave 

•  Paid Sick Leave 

•  Healthcare  and  Flexible Spending Accounts 

•  Retirement 

•  Thrift Savings Plan 

•  Life Insurance 

•  Dental and Vision Insurance 

•  Long Term Care Insurance 

Job vacancies will be posted on USAJOBS.GOV. If you do not see a vacancy posted on USAJOBS for NWS Billings, it means the vacancy application process is closed OR the job has not been posted yet. To look for and access NWS Billings job openings, click the button below!