Montana will need an extremely wet spring to avoid widespread drought once summer arrives. Scientists are skeptical that the needed moisture will arrive.
Almost 95% percent of Montana is abnormally dry this winter, according to data published Thursday by the National Drought Information System.
Nowhere is the problem more acute than the Upper Clark Fork Basin east of Missoula, where snowpack and precipitation are near their lowest levels since records began in 1979.
And the situation is unlikely to improve before summer, according to forecasts from scientists with the Montana Climate Office. The office recently shared projections suggesting many parts of the state won’t recover adequate moisture.
The scientists warn that could lead to water shortages affecting agriculture, fisheries, and recreation around the state.
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Many of Montana’s wheat producers have struggled with drought for five straight years. Now they’re facing economic headwinds because of President Trump’s tariffs. -
The Daily Inter Lake’s Jack Underhill is based in Kalispell and has been following the situation. He sat down with MTPR’s Elinor Smith to explain the timeline of discovery and how city officials handled the information. -
A biofuels manufacturer in Great Falls announced plans to build a water treatment facility. This comes after the company previously proposed injecting the wastewater underground. -
This summer’s weather has been a far cry from the scorching heat, bone-dry conditions and smokey air Montanans have come to expect this time of year. Meteorologists say more of this cooler, wetter weather is likely this month. -
A new report indicates the Jefferson River basin might be in trouble. The nonprofits behind the study hope it will spur change. -
A new report suggests Montana’s drought could deepen significantly this summer. Already, 60 percent of Montana is in moderate to extreme drought. Another 15 percent is abnormally dry. State officials have agreed to release water from Silver Lake to improve flows to the Clark Fork
