Montana

Scary Time in NW Montana: Enormous Avalanche Conditions

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2024

Scary Time in NW Montana: Enormous Avalanche Conditions

It’s been one of the most challenging winters in Montana for avalanche conditions. Weak early snowpack in several parts of Montana started off the season with a terrible base. Warm conditions, then large snow dumps haven’t made for a stable back country experience for most of the season.

At the request of Flathead Avalanche Center Hungry Horse, Montana:
AN AVALANCHE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE FLATHEAD AVALANCHE CENTER.
The Flathead Avalanche Center in Hungry Horse has issued a BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING for the following areas:
NWS Missoula MT – MTC 029 (Flathead County)…MTC 047 (Lake County)…MTC 053 (Lincoln County)
WHAT…Prolonged warm, sunny weather is creating very dangerous avalanche conditions.
WHERE…On and below steep slopes above 5000 feet in the Flathead, Whitefish, and Swan Ranges, and portions of Glacier National Park (the McDonald Valley and areas bordering US Highway 2 west of Marias Pass).
WHEN…In effect from Monday 06:00 Tuesday 06:00.
IMPACTS…Natural and triggered avalanches involving wet snow are very likely on both sunny and shady slopes. Hard slabs failing on deeply buried weak layers are likely.
Overhanging cornices can break spontaneously, triggering large to very large avalanches on the slopes below.
PRECAUTIONARY / PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended in the Whitefish, Swan, and Flathead Ranges, as well as Glacier National Park.
Consult flatheadavalanche.org or www.avalanche.org for more detailed information.
Similar avalanche danger may exist at locations outside the coverage area of this or any avalanche center.

This Avalanche Warning is in effect in all zones of our advisory area. Warm temperatures and sunny skies will produce large and deadly avalanches. Avoid traveling in avalanche terrain today.

Great Groups That Montana Rock Hounds Need To Know About

Rock hounding in Montana is HUGE! Almost everyone has collected rocks at some point in their life, and for those that still enjoy collecting or learning about geology, there are several active groups for you to join.

Gallery Credit: mwolfe

Montana Hiking Trail Etiquette: Dos and Don’ts

We have countless, wonderful hiking and walking trails within easy reach of town. But being a Montanan means caring for your surroundings, AND others. Keep in mind these trail basics while enjoying the outdoors. Safe hikers are happy hikers.

Gallery Credit: mwolfe

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Montana

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

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Montana

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

Published

22 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.

“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.

It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.

(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”

But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.

“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.

Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.

“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.

The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.

The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.

“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.

While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.

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Montana

Frontier Conference women: MSU-Northern, Montana Western pull upsets to advance to semifinal round

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Frontier Conference women: MSU-Northern, Montana Western pull upsets to advance to semifinal round

BUTTE — MSU-Northern and Montana Western pulled a pair of upsets Saturday at the Butte Civic Center to wrap up the quarterfinal round of the Frontier Conference women’s basketball postseason tournament.

The fifth-seeded Skylights started the day with a red-hot shooting performance to down No. 4 Rocky Mountain College 82-74. Western, the sixth seed, used a third-quarter surge to defeat No. 3 Carroll College 65-56.

MSU-Northern (17-11) and Western (14-13) now advance to Sunday’s semifinal round, where the Skylights will play No. 1 seed Dakota State at noon and the Bulldogs will face No. 2 Montana Tech at 2:30 p.m.

MSU-Northern 82, Rocky Mountain College 74

MSU-Northern sizzled in the first quarter, making seven 3-pointers to take a double-digit lead, and put together a crucial third-quarter run to get past Rocky and advance to the semifinal round.

Becky Melcher splashed four 3s in the first 10 minutes, and Taya Trottier, Canzas HisBadHorse and Shania Moananu added one apiece as the Skylights built a 29-13 lead. Melcher scored 14 first-quarter points and finished with a game-high 30 on 10-of-19 shooting (7 of 15 from 3-point range). She added 11 rebounds, a blocked shot and three steals to her stat line.

Rocky battled back to tie the game at 36-36 in the second quarter on a Brenna Linse basket, but MSUN responded with consecutive triples from Trottier and Melcher and took a 44-38 lead into halftime. The Bears eventually stole the lead back in the third quarter following a 9-0 run capped be an Isabelle Heggem bucket.

But the Skylights again answered — this time with a 13-2 run to take a 60-51 lead. MSUN led 66-59 going to the fourth and wouldn’t trail the rest of the way. The Skylights trailed for less than two total minutes of the game.

As a team, MSUN made 14 of 26 3s in the game. Ciera Agasiva was 3 for 3 from behind the arc, and Trottier was 2 for 3. Trottier had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Agasiva had 13 points.

Paige Wasson led Rocky (20-9) with 29 points but was 0 for 10 on 3-point attempts. Heggem had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Montana Western 65, Carroll 56

After neither team led by more than five points in the first half, Western broke open a 25-25 tie game by outscoring Carroll 20-9 in the third quarter.

Bailee Sayler scored 10 points in the quarter, including making two 3-pointers, to help the Bulldogs take control. They led 45-34 going to the fourth, and Carroll wouldn’t get closer than six points the rest of the way.

The Fighting Saints were just 18-of-65 shooting (27.7%) for the game.

Sayler scored an efficient 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting. She was 2 for 3 from 3-point range and 6 for 7 at the free throw line. The Missoula native also had nine rebounds.

Isabella Lund added 16 points for the Bulldogs, and Keke Davis had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Carroll (19-10) was led by Kenzie Allen with 12 points. Willa Albrecht and Meagan Karstetter scored 11 points apiece for the Saints.

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