Spring snowstorm blasts Montana
Commuters between Whitefish and Kalispell were met with gusting winds, blowing snow on Monday morning. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Northwest Montana residents woke up to a substantial snowstorm Monday that dropped a foot of new snow on some valley locations and wreaked havoc on area highways.
According to the National Weather Service in Missoula, areas around Eureka picked up about 8 to 12 inches of new snow from the potent spring storm. Hungry Horse and areas west of Whitefish totaled 7 inches. Columbia Falls reported 4.5 inches, while areas east of Flathead Lake tallied 2 inches. Kalispell saw enough snow to cover grass surfaces and some roads.
The Montana Department of Transportation warned Monday morning of severe driving conditions at West Glacier due to blowing snow. At one point early Monday four semi-trucks were stranded on the hill south of Lakeside on U.S. 93. The incident completely blocked the highway before crews cleared the scene at 9 a.m.
Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to more than 30 incidents in Flathead, Lincoln and Lake counties Monday.
The storm extended across the state, with Bozeman and Livingston both reporting 6 inches of new snow.
A winter weather advisory for the Flathead was in place through 6 p.m. Monday and snow was expected to taper off overnight.
Another surge of moist air is expected to move into western Montana on Thursday into Friday. According to the Weather Service, a Canadian cold front will push south across the Continental Divide. As moisture collides with this front, moderate to heavy precipitation will develop across much of the region. This could set up another period wintry weather in valley locations. High temperatures will be in the 40s with lows in the 20s.
Warmer temperatures along with ample moisture should arrive by the weekend. Some streams and rivers could rise significantly and mud slides are possible, the Weather Service warned.