Drought conditions are getting worse across much of Montana and it’s going to take above-normal springtime snow and rain to break out of the spiral.
That’s what experts told members of the governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee Thursday during their first meeting of the year.
Pockets of extreme drought have gripped the Lincoln area and the Blackfoot watershed.
Severe and moderate drought is reported across most of western, southern and northeast Montana. Abnormally dry conditions dominate almost all the state.
There are two noteworthy exceptions: areas of Glacier and Musselshell counties report no drought.
Experts are taking a wait-and-see stance before making any drought predictions this summer.
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Gusty wind, low humidity, temperatures pushing 100 degrees and dry fuels will create critical fire weather conditions in northwest and west-central Montana Saturday.
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Federal subsidies that have helped defray insurers' Medicare drug costs will disappear at the end of the year. Millions of beneficiaries could face higher premiums in 2027.
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It’s been a little over four years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion. Many states have banned or severely restricted access since then. The Dobbs decision also impacted Montana, where abortion access is enshrined in the state Constitution.
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A federal judge ruled in favor of conservation groups this month in a decision against allowing increased road building in the Bitterroot National Forest. The lawsuit, filed in 2024, argued federal agencies didn’t take a hard enough look at the impacts of roads on threatened species.
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The 2026 list includes new works from household names Douglas Stuart, Marlon James and Elizabeth Strout as well as a few debut authors.
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Researchers continue to find PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' in Montana’s waterways. The latest samples come from Flathead Lake. Advocates are calling for more attention and funding to research these substances.