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Montana’s winter snowpack grew in December

Snow Depth. Percent NRCS 1991-2020 Median at the end of December 2024.
USDA NRCS
Snow Depth. Percent NRCS 1991-2020 Median at the end of December 2024.

Montana’s winter snowpack is growing after a lackluster start to the season.

This time last month, Montana’s snowpack was running about half of what is normal for early December.

Eric Larson tells MTPR the tide is slowly starting to turn

“Yes, the snowpack has started to rebound, which is great news,” said Larson.

Larson is a hydrologist with the Montana Snow Survey Program. That’s part of the federal government's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

According to Larson, high-elevation snowpack across most of western Montana has nearly doubled since last month.

The snow arrived just after Christmas and persisted through the end of the year. A series of smaller storms then moved in and continued through the first week of January.

Despite the recent improvements, snowpack remains slightly below normal across most of Montana.

“As of January 7th Montana’s snowpack ranges from about 65 percent of median in the Powder River basin to about 105 percent in the Flathead. Some locations are still in a bit of a deficit — "we’re talking some of those northern Wyoming basins that supply water to Montana,” Larson said.

Montana’s mountain snowpack generally peaks in April or early May.

U.S. Drought Monitor map for Montana as of January 7, 2025.
Brad Pugh, NOAA/CPC
U.S. Drought Monitor map for Montana as of January 7, 2025.

Edward O’Brien first landed at Montana Public Radio three decades ago as a news intern while attending the UM School of Journalism. He covers a wide range of stories from around the state.
edward.obrien@umt.edu.  
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