Risk of major flooding may be receding

The Daily Inter Lake

Snow clogs west side of Going-to-the-Sun

Barring a major rainstorm this weekend, the likelihood of any major flooding in the valley seems to have evaporated.

The Flathead River level dropped below 11 feet Friday afternoon after peaking at about 12 feet Wednesday morning.

Flathead Lake is also down about an inch, and Hungry Horse Reservoir dropped about a half-inch, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

However, the National Weather Service is predicting an 80 percent chance of more rain on Sunday.

Glacier National Park officials announced Friday that the western alpine portion of Going-to-the-Sun Road, from The Loop to Logan Pass, will remain closed until weather conditions improve.

A 100-foot-long section of the road near Triple Arches was buried under 6 to 8 feet of snow on Friday morning, according to park spokeswoman Amy Vanderbilt.

There have also been several rock slides and rock falls on the upper road, she said, including a car-size boulder that landed near The Loop on Wednesday.

The eastern section of the road, from Jackson Glacier Overlook to Logan Pass, reopened Friday afternoon. Weather permitting, it will be open this weekend from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Elsewhere, flood-related damage to Montana 35 between Polson and Bigfork has been repaired. Both lanes of traffic were reopened on Friday.

Through Friday morning, the National Weather Service had recorded 3.3 inches of rainfall this month at Glacier Park International Airport.

For the year, the valley is at 7.59 inches, compared to a 30-year average of 7.71 inches.