Record rain falls on Sunday

Northwest Montana’s snowy weather turned to slush on Sunday with a record-breaking rainy day.

A record rainfall of .63 inches was measured on Sunday at Glacier Park International Airport, breaking the old mark of .48 inches set in 1995.

A warm, moist Pacific weather system is responsible for raising temperatures and providing abundant rainfall, with rain falling even at elevations up to 5,000 or 6,000 feet.

Rainfall amounts recorded as of Monday morning by the Weather Service included 1.17 inches at West Glacier, 1 inch on Flattop Mountain in Glacier Park, .6 inches at Polebridge and .92 inches at Marias Pass.

Rain fell, too, on lower elevations of local ski areas, which had been basking in epic early season snow levels.

At Whitefish Mountain Resort, the morning snow report on Monday indicated “it is a rain, turning to slush, to freezing rain to snow as you ascend the mountain.”

The warmer weather is expected to taper off today, according to the Weather Service, and slightly lower temperatures are expected to result in snow showers instead of rain.

The recent deluge adds to an already wet year in the Flathead Valley. Total precipitation for the year is 19.96 inches, which is 3.71 inches ahead of the long-term average and 6.76 inches ahead of precipitation measured as of this date a year ago.