Montana
Dry January Sinks Northwest Montana’s Snowpack Below Normal – Flathead Beacon
Following a snowy December that boosted northwest Montana’s snowpack to above-average, last month’s dry weather dropped the region’s river basins to low levels as winter continues.
Northwest Montana’s snow water equivalent levels (SWE) dipped to about 85% in the Flathead, Kootenai, and the Lower Clark Fork river basins as of Feb. 13 while the St. Mary and Sun-Teton-Marias basins on the east side of the Continental Divide hovered around 70%. The Noisy Basin SNOTEL site in the Swan Mountains, however, is above average at 110% of normal.
“Fortunately, it was a good start to the season, so northwest Montana was doing pretty good at first with 90 to 110% of normal,” said Eric Larson, a hydrologist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Last month, winter storms continued to favor central Montana, resulting in the Smith-Judith-Musselshell reporting 130% of normal snowpack, while Bear Paw reported more than 200% of normal, according to the Feb. 1 Water Supply Outlook Report.
But Larson says that while the Bear Paw River Basin is currently twice the average snowpack, the area on the Hi-Line is unique because the region is typically dry and there is only one weather station, unlike other basins that have multiple data collecting sites at various elevations.
“One big month can double the snowpack and percentages can fluctuate,” Larson said.
On the Rocky Mountain Front, SWE levels were well below normal by February, with only 56% at the Sun-Teton-Marias basin and 3 to 7 inches below the average SWE levels. Hydrologists say that significant accumulation is needed in this region over the next few months for the snowpack to recover.
But Larson says there is still time for recovery since the snowpack usually doesn’t peak until late April or early May ahead of spring runoff.
While SWE levels in northwest Montana remain below-average, Larson says the snowpack is still doing better than last winter when areas like Many Glacier saw the lowest level in the last 49 years by February of 2024.
“Last year was such a low year across most of Montana,” Larson said. “Last year at this time, lots of stations had some of their lowest snowpack in [decades].”
In mid-February of 2024, SWE levels in the Flathead River Basin hovered around 70% while the southern Mission Mountains were at about 60%.
If dry conditions persist following last winter’s dismal precipitation, Larson says the soil will suck up more moisture than it normally would, leaving less water for runoff during the spring.
“When you have a really low snow year, there could be implications for the next year,” Larson said. “The soil could be stealing that water. Just given the low snow year that we had last year, we’d want to have a slightly above snow year,”
At the end of last year, northwest Montana moved from a “no drought” phase to “abnormally dry” while the central part of the state changed from abnormally dry to no drought conditions, although drought conditions continue to persist from last year.
According to the National Weather Service, a surge of moisture is predicted beginning Friday afternoon, with widespread snow expected to fall through Sunday in northwest Montana. The long range forecast predicts that the Flathead Valley will see below-average temperatures with normal precipitation.
[email protected]
HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s 2026 primary election ballot is taking shape after a busy candidate filing period that drew hundreds of hopefuls.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana election team finalized the list of candidates after 380 total candidates filed between Feb. 17 and March 4. Of those candidates, 19 withdrew from their races.
Six independent candidates are still waiting to qualify via petition before being added to the general election ballot.
The following was sent out by the Office of the Montana Secretary of State:
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team have completed ballot certification for Montana’s 2026 Primary Election, finalizing the list of candidates who will appear before voters on Tuesday, June 2.
Pursuant to Montana law, county election administrators certify local candidates for the primary ballot in their respective counties, while the Secretary of State’s Office certifies the names and designations of statewide and state district candidates, including candidates for federal, legislative, and certain judicial offices.
The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) notified the Secretary of State’s Office and the county election administrators of any candidate(s) whose name(s) may not appear on the ballot pursuant to Montana law.
“The ballot certification process is a key step in ensuring Montana’s elections are accurate, secure, and transparent,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “I’m grateful to our state election officials and the county election administrators and their teams across the state for their hard work preparing for the 2026 Primary Election.”
A total of 380 candidates filed with the Secretary of State’s Office during the candidate filing period (Tuesday, February 17 – Wednesday, March 4). Several candidates withdrew from their respective races, while Independent candidates are pending petition requirements to qualify for the general election ballot.
Filings with the Secretary of State’s Office included:
- United States Senator: Twelve total candidates filed for the office, though one withdrew and one is pending petition requirements. Five Democrats, three Republicans, and two Libertarians will appear on Montanans’ Primary Election ballots. One Independent candidate must meet Montana’s petition requirements.
- United States Representative: Sixteen total filings in the 1st and 2nd Congressional races.
- 1st Congressional (MT-01) Ten candidates submitted paperwork for the Congressional seat – four Democrats, four Republicans, and one Libertarian. One Independent candidate must meet petition requirements. The incumbent did not file for re-election.
- 2nd Congressional (MT-02) Six candidates submitted filing paperwork, including the incumbent, who is the lone Republican to file for the race. Three Democrats and one Libertarian filed, while one Independent also submitted their paperwork for the race and is pending petition requirements.
- Public Service Commission: Seven candidates will appear on the ballot for the two PSC seats.
- PSC District 1: Two Republicans and one Democrat will appear before voters for the open seat.
- PSC District 5: The incumbent is one of three Republicans to file for the seat, while one Democrat also filed.
- Supreme Court Justice: Two candidates filed for the Supreme Court Justice No. 4 race – Judge Dan Wilson was the first to file for Montana’s high court, and Judge Amy Eddy followed suit later the same day.
- District Court Judge: Thirteen candidates submitted filings, including several judges currently on the bench.
- Legislature: The majority of candidate filings were for Legislative seats, where 329 total filings were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office, nearly 130 of which came on the opening day.
- Montana State Senate: Sixty-six candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election, including more than 10 incumbents.
- Montana State House: A total of 235 candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election. Three Independent candidates are pending petition requirements. Dozens of incumbents filed for re-election.
For more information, visit the candidate filing page on the Secretary of State’s website at https://sosmt.gov/elections/filing/.
Missouri judge strikes ballot summary for Trump-backed congressional redistricting plan
Montana finalizes 2026 primary candidate list
Nebraska’s Baxter, Jorgenson earn second-team All-America honors at NCAA championships
How to watch Nevada basketball vs. Liberty in second round of NIT
Follow-Up: Felon Fugitives Found In New Hampshire, According To Corrections Department
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Pritzker pushes prosecutions of Trump officials as part of Dem ‘Project 2029’ agenda
Iran’s Khamenei says enemy ‘defeated’ in written Nowruz message
Gold Trump coin moves forward after Treasury invokes rare authority
Meet the longtime biz partner of Ilhan Omar’s husband as questions swirl over her skyrocketing net worth
‘Nobody can blackmail us’: Leaders excoriate Orbán’s veto
-
Detroit, MI2 days agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Oklahoma6 days agoFamily rallies around Oklahoma father after head-on crash
-
Nebraska1 week agoWildfire forces immediate evacuation order for Farnam residents
-
Georgia4 days agoHow ICE plans for a detention warehouse pushed a Georgia town to fight back | CNN Politics
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMassachusetts community colleges to launch apprenticeship degree programs – The Boston Globe
-
Alaska5 days agoPolice looking for man considered ‘armed and dangerous’
-
Colorado1 week ago‘It’s Not a Penalty’: Bednar Rips Officials For MacKinnon Ejection | Colorado Hockey Now
-
Southwest1 week agoTalarico reportedly knew Colbert interview wouldn’t air on TV before he left to film it