Turn On The AC: What’s Going On With Winter In Montana?

I'm not sure what is going on with Mother Nature, but we're in the middle of January, and parts of Montana are seeing almost 60-degree weather.

For many, that's great news; for others, they realize the impact the snowpack has on drought, the fire season, and other technical factors. So, little or no snow, isn't necessary a good thing.

READ MORE: What is Montana's most overrated town?

For whatever reason, we as a people seem to be obsessed with the weather.

Now, here in Montana where agriculture is one of the leading industries in the state, that makes sense. A rancher or farmer plans around the weather. They need moisture for livestock and crop growth, just like they need the sun. Much of their livelihood depends on the weather and what is going on in the sky, can affect their whole year and whether or nor they make a profit.

What is the warmest winter in Montana history?

According to the "experts" which in this instance is Google, when you ask the question, a couple things come up. First, there is the winter of 1953.

Most of us weren't around back in January of 1953, but according to the archives, that was the warmest January in the history of Montana winters. How warm was it? The records state the the average daily temperature for the month for Montana was 29.8 degrees.

Maybe you're thinking, is there anything more recent, like in this century? Actually, yes there is. Just a couple of years back we had the warmest December in Montana history. The average daily temperature in December of 2023 was 31.3 degrees.

Of course, the last couple of winters have been mild in parts of the state. Here in Bozeman, we've gone two years without a White Christmas and when I look to the Bridgers, I see some snow, but not a lot.

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