Montana

Montana Slammed With 10th Polar Vortex

Published

1 year ago

February 18, 2025

Has this winter felt a little harsher than usual here in Montana? You’re not imagining things. There have been some major irregularities in polar vortex patterns this year, making for an extra brutal season.

credit: Canva

I’ve lived in the West off and on for a few years now, specifically near Alpine, Wyoming, so I thought I was fairly prepared for whatever Montana had to throw at me. But I won’t lie—this winter has felt a little extra. So, I did some digging.

A polar vortex occurs when frigid air that usually stays locked in the North Pole gets disrupted by unusual weather patterns and shifts south.

Normally, this happens two or three times a winter. This year? The U.S. has been hit with ten polar vortex events—and winter isn’t over yet.

Meteorologists are studying why it’s happening more frequently this season, but for now, it seems to be an unusual but natural phenomenon.

credit: Canva

Just last week, Montanans saw temperatures consistently dropping below -20°F, even setting a new daily record. Of course, that’s still a long way from Montana’s coldest-ever recorded temperature—a bone-chilling -70°F in Rogers Pass.

While we’re bundling up here in the southwest region, northeastern Montana is bracing for even more extreme conditions, with temperatures expected to plunge between -20°F and -60°F through Wednesday. And Glacier is under a winter storm watch, with winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour.

So, in comparison, maybe we should consider ourselves lucky… and break out the shorts.

Credit: APnews

Montana’s Top 10 Record-Setting Wild Weather Events

Montana is named Big Sky Country for several reasons, not only grandiose Sunsets but impressive weather events as well! Ask any Montana resident who has scoffed at the idea of tossing a blanket or snow shovel in the trunk of the car ” just in case”. Here is a list of Montana’s Top 10 Record-Setting Wild Weather Events

Gallery Credit: Brian Lee

6 Winter Weather Activities Bozeman Residents Love

Whether you’re looking for a thrill or something slower paced, Bozeman has plenty of incredible winter weather activities to keep you active and busy.

Gallery Credit: Will Gordon

10 Helpful Montana Weather Terms You Need to Know

Weather in Montana can be unpredictable. Here are 10 weather terms that you need to know.

Gallery Credit: Jesse James

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for July 8, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at July 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing

12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from July 8 drawing

17-26-31-32-37, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 8 drawing

03-13-16-17, Bonus: 10

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from July 8 drawing

06-27-33-44-69, Powerball: 23

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from July 8 drawing

08-16-17-22-27

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing

16-18-43-48-50, Bonus: 01

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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Montana

Montana signs onto data center energy cost protection pledge

Published

15 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Montana signs onto data center energy cost protection pledge

HELENA, Mont — Gov. Greg Gianforte is backing a new effort to keep data centers from driving up Montanans’ power bills.

This week, Gianforte announced Montana is signing on to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge — an initiative endorsed by President Trump.

Several major technology companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and XAI first signed the pledge back in March.

The pledge comes as data center development continues to grow — raising questions about how much new energy will be needed and who will pay for it.

NBC Montana spoke with Julia Haggerty, professor of geography and department head of earth sciences at Montana State University, about whether Montana’s power grid is ready for that growth.

“Not without resolution of significant transmission bottlenecks and massive amounts of new generation. So, while our grid is adequately, relatively adequately equipped to serve the needs of our current load base, it’s definitely not equipped to accommodate the new demands without a lot of expansion,” she said.

According to the pledge, data center developers will pay for new power generation, and infrastructure needed to support their operations.

“It does align with ongoing regulatory efforts to ensure that the cost of new generation associated with data centers is borne by the developers of those data centers and not customers,” Haggerty said.

The governor’s office says Gianforte’s support of the pledge is designed to encourage responsible data center investments while protecting Montana ratepayers from long-term costs.

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