MTPR

drought

Warmer Temperatures, Less Precipitation Expected In Montana This Summer

By • Mar 20, 2018
Fire danger sign.
Josh Burnham

National Weather Service projections show a hot, dry summer for Montana this year.

Megan Syner, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service says through this spring Montana will continue to see below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. But that could change mid-summer.

Water Supply Committee Debates When To Issue State Drought Forecast

By • Mar 20, 2018
Flooding along Rock Creek, a tributary of the Clark Fork River, near Clinton, MT, June 4, 2017.
Josh Burnham

An advisory council to the governor is considering a change to Montana's law on predicting drought conditions, following the historic 2017 fire season that caught state officials by surprise.

This time last year, Governor Steve Bullock’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee did not expect drought to be an issue for Montana in the warmer months of 2017. The committee sent their annual report to the governor last April when streamflows were high and spring rain was falling.

Summit Looks At Impact Of Changing Climate, Demographics On Montana's Water Future

By • Mar 8, 2018
Panelists at the Montana Water Summit in Helena, MT, March 7, 2018. From the left: Leon Szeptycki, Marco Maneta, Patty Gude, John Tubbs.
Nicky Ouellet

More than 300 people from across Montana met in Helena this week to talk about big changes the state is seeing in water —  from when it falls, to how and where it’s used, to the way Montanans value it.

The state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation hosted Montana’s first Water Summit, which Chief Earl Old Person of the Blackfeet Tribe kicked off with a blessing.

Drought Is Montana's Top Weather Event For 2017

By Kay Erickson • Jan 4, 2018

The National Weather Service in Billings has selected drought and the resulting wildfire activity as the top weather event for 2017. It probably comes as no surprise to residents east of the Continental Divide.

NWS Meteorologist Tom Frieders said parts of Montana are still experiencing drought. He said at this time last year most of the state was in pretty good shape.

Montana Red Flag Warning Issued In December Is Latest On Record

By Nate Hegyi • Dec 12, 2017
Today the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the eastern and north-central part of the state.
Josh Burnham

When you think of winter in Montana, you think lots of snow, not wildfires. But today the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the eastern part of the state. 

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