Havre-area sees second-coldest February on record

Despite some relatively warmer weather in north-central Montana at the start and end of February — with March coming in like a lion — the month ended up being historically cold, with National Weather Service reporting Havre recording the second-coldest February on record.

The monthly average temperature — that averages the high and low each day — ended up at minus 5.9 degrees Fahrenheit for Havre, edging out the previous second-coldest of minus 4.9 degrees set in 1887.

What is now the fourth-coldest average for February, set in 1891, is minus 0.2 degrees.

The benchmark for cold Februaries in Havre was set in the bitterly cold year of 1936, at minus 12.8 degrees.

The coldest February

In the leap-year of 1936, the low in Havre was above zero one day, Feb. 29, at 9 degrees. That day saw a high of 44 degrees, one of nine days with a high above zero. Only two of these days — the 29th and the high of 40 on Feb. 27 — were above freezing.

The high in between those days, Feb. 28, was 12 degrees. The low on Feb. 27, 1936, was minus 3 degrees and on the 28th minus 4.

From Feb. 4, 1936, to Feb. 20, 1936, the high never rose above zero — the warmest day was Feb 19, 1936, when the high hit zero. The lows were all below minus 20 degrees, with the lows on multiple days colder than minus 30. The low on Feb. 15, 1936, was minus 46, and the coldest day, Feb. 16, 1936, was minus 47.

This year’s data for the February average for other towns in the area was not available at the Weather Service website this morning, but the coldest Februaries — all in 1936 — were minus 14.3 in Chinook, minus 13.6 in Harlem, and Chester and Big Sandy both had minus 9.5.

Chinook’s coldest day that month was minus 51 on Feb. 14, 1936, and the lows never rose above minus 20 from Feb. 1, 1936, to Feb. 20, 1936. Those lows included minus 50 on Feb. 15, 1936, and three lows colder than minus 40 and six colder than minus 30.

Lots of snow but not near a record

Havre also didn’t break the record for snowfall for February, set last year on the 21st at 31.8 inches, but came close to getting second in that category, as well.

National Weather Service reports the Havre recording station, at the Havre City-County Airport west of town, showed 17.5 inches of snow falling there in February.

In 1978, the winter snowfall in Havre for February was 18.6 inches and it was 18 inches in 1994.

This year’s data on February snowfall for other towns in the area was not available this morning, but the records for Big Sandy show February 1942 with the most snow at 14.5 inches. Harlem received its February record of 24 inches in 1951; Chinook set a February record last year at 21 inches; as did Chester with 20.7 inches.

More winter this weekend

Although February — which started in 2019 with highs in the 40s — went out with a comparably balmy high of 20 degrees in Havre Thursday, winter is back with a vengeance for the weekend.

A blast of arctic air was expected to hit north-central Montana this morning, spreading to southwest Montana by tonight and bringing more snow and near-record cold to north-central Montana.

The Weather Service forecast low for Havre is minus 28 tonight and minus 32 Saturday.

The record lows for Havre are minus 31 March 1 last year and minus 38 March 2, 1911.

Harlem’s record lows were both set in 1924, with minus 44 on March 1 and minus 34 March 2. Harlem’s forecast calls for lows of minus 26 tonight and minus 30 Saturday.

Chinook saw minus 45 March 1, 1924, and minus 38 March 2, 1991, with the forecast calling for lows of minus 28 tonight and minus 29 Saturday.

Chester saw minus 33 March 1, 1952, and minus 37 March 2, 1911. Its forecast calls for lows of minus 25 tonight and minus 29 Saturday.

Big Sandy’s record lows were in 1928, with minus 48 the record for March 1 and minus 35 for March 2. Its forecast predicts lows of minus 19 tonight and minus 32 Saturday.

The winter weather advisory — it is a more-severe winter storm warning for the western edge of the state — for the state from the Rocky Mountains to Blaine and Fergus counties predicts 1 inches to 4 inches of snow falling from this morning through Saturday morning. A winter hazardous weather outlook predicting falling and blowing snow is in effect south of Fergus County with a winter weather advisory in effect for the southeast corner of Montana.

A wind chill advisory is in effect east of Blaine and Fergus counties.

What’s to come

While temperatures are expected to moderate with highs in the single digits to teens and lows to below zero in the single digits to teens by next week, normal March weather should not be expected in north-central Montana until at least the end of the month.

Weather Service meteorologist Paul Nutter in Great Falls said earlier this week that the unusually cold weather is expected to stay into the second week of March. At that point, the chance of having above-normal or below-normal temperatures becomes about even.

He added that that forecast is true for almost all of the contiguous lower-48 states, with only parst of New Mexico, Arizona and Florida likely to warm up.

Later in the month, he said, with longer days and more warmth from the sun hitting the area, the bitter cold that has covered the nation could be broken up.