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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Lawyers argued before the Montana Supreme Court Friday in a case that could determine the future of the proposed Black Butte Copper Mine in Central Montana.
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A pandemic-era program that helped low-income people keep up with their water and sewer bills is running out of funding.
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After years of tribes calling on the U.S. and Canada to do something about selenium pollution flowing into Montana, the two governments have struck a deal. An international body will make recommendations on how to settle the boundary-water dispute.
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The Blackfeet Nation is beginning to build infrastructure to improve access to clean water.
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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.
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January’s weather did little to improve Montana’s record low snowpack. It’s going to take a major change in the weather to improve conditions.