weather

Snowpack in the West typically reaches its peak in early April but that hasn’t happened this year. Drought persists, setting up conditions for wildfires and low water supply. This warm, snowless winter points to a warming climate and trouble for Montana farmers.

This past winter was defined by historic warmth in the Rockies. Long-term spring forecasts look similar – warmer and drier than normal.

An elementary school near Great Falls lost a portion of its roof Sunday after severe wind battered the region.

Severe winter weather arrives in Montana this week leading to the potential for blizzards. Officials are asking people to be wary of travel plans starting Thursday. Schools in the Flathead Valley and Butte will be closed Thursday in preparation for the storm.

Lincoln County was hit hard by flooding from winter storms in 2025. Records of major floods in the area date nearly 100 years. A closer look at that history shows decades of mitigation measures, plans and preparations that officials say prevented further catastrophe in December.

Blackfeet tribal officials declared a state of emergency due to extreme winter temperatures impacting the region. The National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 6 below zero in Browning Wednesday morning, and a low of negative 13 on Wednesday night. Wind gusts may also reach up to 50 mph.

According to a recent report issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Montana’s snowpack sits below average for this time of year.

The spring-like weather that’s gripped Montana since before Christmas shows almost no signs of going away.

The National Weather Service issues a litany of notices before and during inclement weather events. They can be important signals on how to respond.

Hydrologists are calling Montana's first snowpack report of the year “a tale of two snowpacks.” There's plenty of snowpack in the high mountain ranges, but lower elevation areas are below average.