Environmental

Saturday and Sunday will very unpleasant at times for Montana travel, especially through almost all of our mountain passes and high elevation in general. Heavy bands of snow combined with 50+ MPH winds are expected at times which will drop visibility to near zero. Conditions are going to fluctuate rapidly in dozens of Montana counties.

When epic flooding struck the Yellowstone River in the summer of 2022, there wasn't just damage done to homes, businesses, roads, and bridges, Parts of the Yellowstone River itself, including the area surrounding 'The Boiling River' area, were reshaped and lost - perhaps forever.

Tricky driving conditions will continue in Montana through Friday morning with more snow falling along with varying temperatures. The vast amounts of snow that fell this past weekend have already created snow-packed roads and deep ruts.

The Powder River in eastern Montana happens to be the first dealing with flooding issues. Specifically, and ice jam seven miles south of Broadus is their culprit and causing concern.

Come meet two fantastic dudes this Saturday who will help YOU become a better vegetable gardener in Gallatin County. We all know it can be rough around here but these gentlemen have seen it all and know the secrets to happy, FUN gardens.

If it's the start of a healthy hobby and habit, this might be the best $15 you've spent in a while. All day on Saturday at Cashman Nursery in Bozeman, you can stop in and get all the things you need, along with instruction, to grow your own microgreens of your choice.

Avalanche danger is high in several locations of southwest Montana. Specifically the southern Gallatin and Madison ranges, and areas near Island Park. Continuous, heavy snow has increased the danger.

Some counties in southwest Montana could potentially be impassable through Wednesday evening. Not everybody is forecasted to get crazy weather, but up to a foot or more of snow might fall in some mountain ranges. Very strong winds are supposed to be widespread - gusts of 40+ MPH will be common and 70 MPH possible.

Over a foot of snow along with 60+ MPH winds are possible along the southern Montana Idaho border through Saturday morning. Dangerous driving conditions will occur with the mountain passes getting the brunt of this storm.

Travel could be very difficult at times in parts of southwest Montana through Monday morning. Several inches, perhaps up to 6 inches of snow is expected to fall intermittently in this weekend storm.

The gardening season in Montana starts this weekend, according to local experts - at least when it comes to starting seeds indoors. Learning what works for our often challenging climate will be FUN and FREE with a special event.

It's 59 miles of the most cherished stretch of river in America, with one put-in and one take-out. About 1 in 10 people who applied for a private float permit for the Smith River got one for 2023. Nearly 40% of the float permits for The Smith were awarded to nonresidents of Montana. Do we have a problem?