Montana

Dry January leaves Montana snowpack at half of normal

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

Dry January leaves Montana snowpack at half of normal

Laura Lundquist

(Missoula Current) While January brought a few snowstorms and a few cold days, it wasn’t enough to improve the winter snowpack, which is still about half of what it should be across Montana.

If you look out across the bare hills around Missoula and are concerned, your feelings aren’t steering you wrong. Precipitation was below normal for the month of January across most of Montana, except for the northeast, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The upper Clark Fork and Bitterroot basins received around 75% of the moisture that normally falls in January while precipitation in the lower Missouri River basin around Fort Peck was slightly above average. When combined with the previous two months of low precipitation, the upper Clark Fork basin has about 60% of the moisture normally received since Oct. 1, while the Bitterroot basin is slightly better at 67%.

The mountain snowpack is worse, because due to this winter’s warm temperatures, some of that moisture has fallen as rain instead of snow.

The Upper Clark Fork basin has 44% of the snowpack it normally received between 1990 and 2020. The Bitterroot Range has received a little more snow, putting it at 60% of normal. Northwestern Montana is doing the best, but it still has only two-thirds of its normal snowpack, while on the other side of the Continental Divide, the Rocky Mountain Front is suffering the most with just a third of its normal snowpack.

A recent Dartmouth College study was able to connect such reductions in snowpack to climate change.

The lack of precipitation has plunged most of Montana, particularly the west side, back into drought, according to the USDA National Drought Monitor. As of Feb. 1, almost 20% of the state is in severe drought, including the mountain ranges around Missoula and Dillon. Another 20% is in moderate drought. Just one-fifth of the state – a region in the east between the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers – remains free of drought.

Warm winter temperatures aren’t helping the snowpack. Montana did experience a few days of below-zero temperatures during January, which allowed Missoula to set a record low temperature of -17 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 15. Kalispell hit a record low of -26 on the same day.

However, last week, daytime temperatures in the valleys around Missoula soared back into the 40s – 4 to 6 degrees above normal – while the nights scarcely dipped below freezing. Central Montana saw daytime temperatures that were more than 10 degrees above normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lewistown experienced a temperature difference of 106 degrees over about 15 days, jumping from a low of -43 degrees Fahrenheit to a high of 63 on Jan. 30, according to the National Weather Service.

Things may change briefly over the next week but the overall trend of warmer-and-drier is predicted to remain.

Over the next few days, two atmospheric rivers that are spilling off the Pacific Ocean will combine with a low-pressure trough to bring cooler temperatures and some moisture into Montana. However, National Weather Service models indicate the storms could track mainly out of central Idaho across southwest Montana, dropping up to 6 inches of snow in the high mountains. Warm temperatures in the valleys from Kalispell to Hamilton could produce mainly a rain-snow mix.

After that, the two week outlook puts temperatures and precipitation amounts at near normal but the state is predicted to warm up and get drier again through the end of the month. NOAA’s three-month outlook keeps temperatures higher than normal across the northern states, and western Montana could continue to see drier-than-normal conditions.

With about three months of winter-ish weather to go, it’s too early to say whether streamflows will be low due to poor winter snowpack and low soil moisture. But the forecast doesn’t bode well, and many Montanans know the summer may be a tough one.

Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.

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Montana

March 5 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

Published

9 hours ago

March 6, 2026

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March 5 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

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Montana

Montana GOP won’t endorse in federal races this cycle • Daily Montanan

Published

21 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Montana GOP won’t endorse in federal races this cycle • Daily Montanan

Although newly minted GOP candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have garnered heavyweight endorsements, the Montana Republican Party said Thursday it won’t throw its support behind any candidates for federal office in the primary.

“The Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) stands behind its deep bench of qualified candidates seeking to represent Montanans and supports a competitive primary process to let voters pick their preferred candidates,” the Montana GOP said in a news release Thursday.

Monday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he was retiring due to health concerns once his term ends, and he immediately tapped talk-show host Aaron Flint as his preferred successor in Congress.

Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and Flathead County Republican Central Committee Chairperson Al Olszewski also filed for the U.S. House as Republicans, as did Ray Curtis of Bonner.

Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrew, and in a statement the same night, announced an endorsement of former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who had filed the same day.

In the Senate, Lee Calhoun and Charles Walking Child also filed to run in the Republican primary.

Endorsements for Flint and Alme cascaded. U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed both candidates, and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte threw their weight behind Flint and Alme.

Late on Wednesday, the Montana GOP did not immediately have comment on the news Daines, Montana’s senior U.S. senator, had resigned, but Thursday, the party thanked Zinke and Daines for their service.

A news release said the party would not endorse any candidates in the federal primary and would leave the job in the hands of voters.

“The party hopes every candidate will make their case to the public, contrasting their Republican policies and principles with those of Democrats — as well as phony ‘Independents,’” the news release said.

Former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced a run for the U.S. Senate as an independent this week.

A tension within the Republican party has emerged in recent years between hardline conservatives and more moderate members, and some legislative primaries illustrate the split.

This week, the state GOP said the number of primaries for state legislative seats shows a high interest from Montanans who want to serve the state and pass Republican policy, and the MTGOP “is glad to see so many Republicans being called to public service.”

In a brief call, MTGOP spokesperson Ethan Holmes said the party had not ruled out endorsements in legislative primaries.

In the news release, however, the MTGOP offered its view of the larger political debate.

“Montana voters know that beyond the primaries, there is a clear choice between Republican and Democratic governance; one path leads to lower taxes, less crime and stronger families, and the other leads to higher taxes, more crime, and social decay,” MTGOP Chairperson Art Wittich said in a statement.

The news release also said the state GOP is working “tirelessly to deliver a Bright Red Future” at both the state and federal level and looks forward to help candidates whom voters select win in November.

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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for March 4, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing

07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 4 drawing

33-38-39-47-51, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 4 drawing

01-07-08-27, Bonus: 12

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing

05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from March 4 drawing

03-04-06-08-10

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 4 drawing

12-13-36-39-58, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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