Summer heat is settling into Northern Idaho and is heading to Montana. Heat Advisories have been issued for several counties as temperatures to hit 100 degrees or more.
I knew of a few tornadoes that have happened in Montana, but it blew my mind to see the total numbers of how many tornadoes have been recorded in Montana since 1950. The weather in Montana gets even rowdier than I thought.
With heavy snow runoff, and additional heavy rain in the weather forecast, south central Montana is under a Flood Watch until Monday afternoon. The Bighorn Canyon, Pryor/Northern Bighorn Mountains and Southern Big Horn areas are under this new Flood Watch.
A Lake Wind Advisory has been issued for Fort Peck Lake and other areas on Wednesday. Strong winds are creating 3 to 4 foot waves, and dangerous conditions for smaller boats.
After the latest storms that moved through Montana on Monday, the Sawlog Fire details have been updated. The rain and snow is not nearly as helpful to this fire as you might think. It's still listed as 1,500 acres on the official wildfire incident page, and the cause is listed as 'undetermined'.
The mountains north of White Sulphur Springs could get up to 6 inches of fresh snow by noon on Monday. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains.
Drought in Montana is always a serious problem - not just because of wildfire risk during summer months, but because our population continues to rise and everyone needs clean drinking water. This year, there are some real areas of concern.
Lots of mountain snow and gusty winds are going to hit Montana counties after several days of mild, pleasant Spring weather. There will probably be travel advisories in effect for major roadways through Thursday evening.
Huge portions of northeast Montana are under Red Flag Warnings for fire danger. High temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds are a recipe for wildfires. These can be especially dangerous in Montana's rural areas with fewer resources to fight them.