Ranching has been the backbone of the state, known as “Big Sky Country,” for generations, and it’s undergoing an evolution. As the region becomes more desirable, people worldwide are eyeing the land under the open skies.
MISSOULA, Mont. — While a potentially historic heat wave next week is making headlines in the Midwest and East, some parts of the high-elevation West are having a more wintry experience with even threats of accumulating snow as the calendar sits just days away from the summer solstice.
A cold upper-level low is moving into the Pacific Northwest on Saturday before heading into the Intermountain West early next week.
Northwest Snow Setup
(FOX Weather)
The first effect of the cool, unstable air mass will be a round of rare thunderstorms around the Seattle and Western Washington area Saturday. As temperatures in the Emerald City struggle to get out of the 50s, snow levels will crash down to around 3,000-4,500 feet in the Cascades — low enough to where some hikers could see wet snow, with accumulating snow on the higher peaks.
As the cold air spreads east, Frost Advisories cover a large area of Eastern Washington and northern Idaho on Sunday morning, warning of temperatures dropping into the low-mid 30s with potential damage to sensitive crops and plants.
Heavy snow possible in the Montana mountains
The upper-level low will settle into western Montana to kick off the workweek, with the potential for heavy snow along the northern Rockies.
Montana Winter Alerts
Winter Storm Watches are posted for large areas of the Montana mountains Monday into Tuesday with forecasts of 1-3 inches for Lost Trail Pass, 3-6 inches in the Sapphire and Bitterroot ranges, and 6-14 inches are possible above 6,000 feet in Glacier National Park.
Northwest Snow Forecast
It’s only the sixth June since 2005 to have a Winter Storm Watch in Montana, according to Iowa State University’s Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
The “summer” chill won’t last, as long-range forecasts indicate temperatures quickly returning to seasonal averages by the end of the week, with the potential for hot weather looming after next weekend.