Area receives more snow, flood watch not in area yet

While the storm that raised a winter weather advisory Thursday missed Havre, the region has seen plenty of snow in the last few days, but also is avoiding warnings of flooding already starting in other parts of the state.

A storm was predicted Thursday to drop up to two inches of snow from the Rocky Mountain Front through Blaine County, with some areas possibly seeing up to four inches of new snow, the forecast said.

The National Weather Service station at the Havre City-County Airport reported no snow Thursday but did record traces Friday and Saturday and two inches Sunday, bringing the total from July 1 through Sunday to 81.8 inches.

The year has seen record storms and accumulations in this area including an Oct. 2-3 record-setting storm that damaged trees and infrastructure and knocked out power from Liberty through Blaine counties, for a week or more for some people.

While the situation could change rapidly, the Weather Service forecast excludes Liberty, Hill, Blaine and Chouteau counties, along with Teton County, from a hydrological outlook report that warns water from snowmelt and precipitation is causing minor flooding in north-central Montana and south through southwestern Montana.

“Clogged ditches and culverts, along with still-frozen ground, are also preventing running water from seeping into the ground, so some water is running onto roadways, and it may run into some basements,” the report says. “Unpaved rural roads have become muddy as well, which may make them impassable for some vehicles.”

The report asks people to report any observations of flooding to local law enforcement and to ask them to pass it on to National Weather Service.

Weather Service issued a flood warning in Musselshell County, including Roundup, through 2:30 this afternoon, saying ice jams in the Musselshell River are backing up water in that regions.

A flood advisory is in place in Golden Valley along the Musselshell River through 7:30 tonight, and a flood watch is in place for Garfield and Petroleum counties.

The Havre area is predicted to continue to receive snow through this afternoon, with a chance of snow through the early evening. The high temperatures are expected to remain in the 30s, with a chance of rain or snow showers again later in the week.