CHOTEAU — Montana is no stranger to winter weather, but winter in September is rare. Heavy snow fell across much of the state, downing trees and power lines. On the road, high winds blew snow sideways, causing whiteout conditions.
The National Weather Service has issued Winter Storm Watches and Warnings for parts of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.
By Monday, snow totals in the mountains and higher elevations will likely be measured in feet, and in communities at lower elevations, as much as a foot.
Teton County Undersheriff Steve Gjerde is asking residents to stay indoors as conditions worsen. He said, "Our biggest challenge for law enforcement would be any emergency situation, helping the ambulance, if there's a fire, just getting places."
At higher elevations and along parts of the Rocky Mountain Front, some areas have already received more than two feet of snow. At lower elevations, including Great Falls, snow totals are expected to range anywhere from six inches to 12 inches; as of about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, snow totals in Great Falls range from six to eight inches.
WINTER WEATHER RESOURCES:
- STORMTracker Weather page
- Live interactive radar
- STORMTracker on Facebook
- Montana webcams (MDT site)
- Road Conditions (MDT site)
