Heatwave prods rising river levels
The heat is on in Northwest Montana and area rivers are quickly rising.
Kalispell tied a daily record high temperature on Wednesday when thermometers topped off at 87 in the valley. The high was expected to climb to 90 on Thursday, which would break Kalispell's daily record high of 89.
The National Weather Service in Missoula issued a heat advisory for Thursday for all of Western Montana, warning people to drink plenty of fluids and to take extra precautions if outside.
AccuWeather meteorologist Heather Zehr warned that this first extended stretch of intense heat so far this year should be "taken seriously." Even residents in the less traditional hot spots in the northern tier should exercise caution.
The heatwave is the result of an unusually strong high pressure system that has enveloped the West. Some areas like aptly named Hells Canyon, Idaho were expected to hit triple-digit temperatures, while Glasgow in eastern Montana was predicted to warm up to 99.
THE HOT weather has expedited mountain snowmelt as local river levels climbed steadily this week.
The Flathead River at Columbia Falls was at 11.99 feet on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. The river was expected to rise to 12.62 feet by Friday afternoon, just shy of the 13-foot flood stage, before dropping back to near 10 feet by next week.
The Swan River near Bigfork was at 5 feet on Thursday, below the 6.5-foot flood stage. It was expected to top off at 5.5 feet on June 6.
A turn toward more normal temperatures will stymie snowmelt and help keep river levels in check. Valley temperatures will be in the mid to upper 60s on Saturday and Sunday, while mountain locations above 7,000 feet could see accumulating snow.
Chances of valley rain linger in the forecast early next week with temperatures in the low 70s.