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.