Frost on Cottonwood leaves, Montana
The weather in western Montana has been about as flaky as it gets since the middle of the fall. October started out with a cold snap that set records for low temperatures.
Fall colors were just getting going good and the single digit temperatures ended it before it really got going. So, it was sort of like no fall. After the cold snap temps stabilized back to sort of normal albeit mild and dry.
Up to about the third week of November things continued to be pretty mild and dry. The last few days of the month started cooling down to single digits during the overnight. The forecast for the coming days is cold, like well under the subzero mark overnight by the first of the week. That sucks. A smattering of snow possible Saturday and then a nice Alberta clipper to blow it away. So, for the time being it looks like the moisture is not happening and cold is in. The upside, ice on the lakes is forming and the arctic shot should set some of the lakes up for the ice fishing season. With no snow covering the ice it should form pretty fast.
MONTANA SNOTEL Snow Water Equivalent Update Graph
As of THURSDAY: DECEMBER 3 , 2009
| Basin | Snow Water Equivalent Percent of Average |
| KOOTENAI RIVER BASIN |  82% |
| FLATHEAD RIVER BASIN | 74% |
| UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN | 83% |
| BITTERROOT RIVER BASIN |  55% |
| LOWER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN | 54% |
| JEFFERSON RIVER BASIN |  95% |
| MADISON RIVER BASIN | 87% |
| GALLATIN RIVER BASIN | 99% |
| MISSOURI HEADWATERS | 92% |
| HEADWATERS MISSOURI MAINSTEM | 107% |
| SMITH, JUDITH, AND MUSSELSHELL RIVER BASINS |  137% |
| SUN, TETON AND MARIAS RIVER BASINS | 72% |
| MISSOURI MAINSTEM RIVER BASIN | 103% |
| ST MARY AND MILK RIVER BASINS | 87% |
| UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN | 90% |
| WIND RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 89% |
| SHOSHONE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 73% |
| BIGHORN RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 79% |
| TONGUE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 92% |
| POWDER RIVER BASIN (WYOMING) | 97% |
| LOWER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN | 85% |
| Legend: | <70% |
70-90% |
91-110% |
 111-130% |
>130% |
* = Data are not available or data may not provide a valid measure
of conditions for over half of the sites within the basin.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I live in MI and we have not had vry much rain during the fall this year. It has hampered our fish run. Steelies and Slamon alike.
Dry here too so far. It’s cold, -20 this morning. That will make some ice!.