Montana
Surviving Montana Winters: Must-Have Emergency Kit For Your Car
Like it or not, winter is finally here and that can be a problem when it comes to traveling across the state.
With thousands of miles of roads, highways, and interstates, Montana can be a difficult place to navigate, especially in winter conditions. At least once or twice a year, there is a weather event that leaves many Montanans stranded on our roads for a long period, and if that happens, you certainly want to make sure that you are prepared.
For those who are new to Montana, one of the best things you can do in winter is to make sure you have a winter emergency kit in your vehicle.
While opinions may vary on what is needed in a winter emergency kit, our friends over at The Zebra have come out with a list of essential items that every Montanan should have in their vehicles during the winter months.
The list includes the following:
- Flashlight
- Bag of Cat Litter
- Snow Shovel
- First Aid Kit
- Ice Scraper
- Jumper Cables
- Water
- Blankets
- Cell Phone Charger
- Reflective Triangles
- Non-Perishable Food Items
- Matches
- Toolkit
Of course, there are always additional items that you can add as well. Things such as tire chains, winter boots, extra winter clothing, and an empty gas can certainly be helpful in a situation that leaves you stranded on the side of a Montana road in winter.
There are several different options when it comes to buying an emergency winter kit for your vehicle. Some kits are already prepared and come in a convenient backpack, or if you’re looking to save some money you can always build your own.
Is there something that didn’t make the list that should be added for a Montana winter weather emergency kit? Let us know by sending us a message on our radio station app.
10 Early Signs of a Nasty, and Brutally Harsh Winter in Montana
Here are a few early warning signs of a harsh winter in Montana, according to weather folklore.
Gallery Credit: Jesse James
These are the Top 8 Cheapest Towns To Live In, In Montana
Have you been contemplating moving to Montana? Maybe you already live here and the town has gotten so expensive you are having to relocate by no fault of your own. The good news, you can stay in Montana by moving to one of the cheapest towns in Montana.
Gallery Credit: megan shaul
Here’s 8 States That Have Longer And Harsher Winters Than Montana
Winter can be brutal here in Montana with lots of wind, snow, and temperatures well below zero. In fact, that alone should be a word of warning for those thinking of moving here from warmer climates.
A lot goes into being prepared to live in a state with rough winters and if you’ve never done it before, you certainly need to make sure that you are prepared. You need to make sure you have the right tires, vehicle, and winter clothing. Plus, I would highly suggest you learn how to drive in winter conditions before moving to a state that celebrates winter 6 months out of the year.
And while winters can be very rough here in Montana, we don’t even crack the Top 5 for States With The Most Brutal Winters.
Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf
HELENA, Mont. — Montana counties have accepted enough signatures for Seth Bodnar, running for U.S. Senate and Michael Eisenhauer, running in Montana’s 2nd Congressional District, to be on the November ballot, although counts are still unofficial.
County election officials are continuing to verify signatures submitted by Tuesday’s deadline as part of the candidate petition process.
The Montana Secretary of State’s Office has not yet verified, certified or accepted the petitions, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Counties must submit candidate petitions to the Secretary of State’s office by June 1.
The Secretary of State’s office will then conduct its “statutory review to ensure the petitions meet the necessary legal requirements under law.”
The deadline for the November general election ballot to be certified is Thursday, Aug. 20. By then, all qualifying candidates and any potential ballot issues that qualify for the general election will be officially certified.
The following was out by the Montana Secretary of State’s Office:
The attached report is unofficial. It includes totals that the county election officials have processed and entered in the system. These totals do not represent what the Secretary of State’s Office has received, reviewed, tabulated, or certified. The certified totals may differ from what is reflected.
Seth Bodnar, U.S. Senate
- 13,327 required
- 18,772 accepted
- 7,812 rejected
Kimberly Persico, MT-01
- 6,742 required
- 563 accepted
- 156 rejected
Michael Eisenhauer, MT-02
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- 7,274 required
- 7,754 accepted
- 4,720 rejected
Severe storms moved through parts of Montana on Thursday, prompting a total of 5 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Reports included strong wind gusts and hail in several communities, including Augusta, Choteau, Sunburst, Bigfork, Kalispell and Evergreen.
The strongest reported wind gust was 60 mph near Augusta, while hail up to 1 inch was reported near Evergreen and Kalispell.
STORM REPORTS:
12 SE Grant — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
7 NNE Augusta — 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust
5 ENE Choteau — 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Sunburst — 54 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Ennis — 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust
3 SSW Ennis — 52 mph thunderstorm wind gust
2 E Helena — 54 mph thunderstorm wind gust
19 E Swan Lake — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
2 NNW Yaak — thunderstorm wind damage – Multiple downed trees reported along Highway 2 between MM 3 and 8
3 WSW Blacktail — 53 mph thunderstorm wind gust
1 NNW Troy — 49 mph thunderstorm wind gust
5 ENE Choteau — 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust
Turah — 0.88″ hail
1 NNW Bigfork — 0.75″ hail
3 SW La Salle — 0.50″ hail
2 N Evergreen — 1.00″ hail
1 W Kalispell — 1.00″ hail
3 WNW Kalispell — 0.75″ hail
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Have a storm photo to share, UPLOAD it at NBCMontana.com/chimein
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A man from Las Vegas has been sentenced after stealing coins and precious metals from a Helena shop in Montana.
This comes after Bishop Lott, 47, pleaded guilty in January to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
A judge sentenced Lott on Thursday to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $276,153.08 in restitution to the Helena business as well as five other theft victims.
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The government alleged in court documents that Lott, along with Ricky Rynell Rose, broke into Wayne Miller Coins in Helena and stole nearly $59,000 in coins and precious metals from a Helena business.
Rose pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to 39 months in prison.
The Helena Police Department received a call on March 3, 2024, reporting that Wayne Miller Coins had been burglarized earlier that day.
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As part of their investigation, Helena police officers reviewed surveillance footage from multiple businesses. They analyzed email account data, which led them to Lott and Rose, who had taken the stolen material to Nevada.
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