Winter begins with record high temps

A warm spell over winter solstice pushed high temperatures in Northwest Montana to levels not seen in more than a century.

According to the National Weather Service in Missoula, multiple records were broken for Kalispell as the surge of subtropical air infiltrated the region from Dec. 20-22.

Kalispell’s high temperature of 51 on Dec. 20 set a new record for the date, topping the previous daily high of 50 set in 1900.

On Dec. 21, the thermometer reached 54, which tied the previous record set in 1933. Dec. 22 was the warmest day of the weekend, reaching 55 in Kalispell. That high temperature also tied the previous record set in 1933.

Overall, it’s been an abnormally mild December across the Western Montana. Average temperatures for the region are running 5 to 10 degrees above normal, the Weather Service noted.

Temperatures this week are expected to lower back down to seasonal normals in the low 30s and 20s, but precipitation chances remain scant.