Higher temperatures expected in north-central Montana

After a relatively mild, and finally rainy, late spring and early summer, the temperatures are expected to creep up over the weekend — though the forecast is for slightly lower highs at the start of the Great Northern Fair in Havre next week.

National Weather Service predicts highs to hit the upper 80s and lower 90s by the weekend in north-central Montana, 5 degrees to 10 degrees warmer than normal.

The Weather Service forecast for the area through Wednesday — the final day in the forecast — is for temperatures to be in the low to mid-80s early next week. 

The Weather Service notice on its website warns people to be prepared for the higher temperatures.

“With the warming temperatures will come the risk for heat-related impacts, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” the notice says. “Remember to practice heat safety wherever your day may take you. It is never safe to leave a toddler, disabled person or pet locked in a car. 

“Each year, dozens of children and untold numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia, which occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can handle,” the notice continues. “Hyperthermia can occur even on a mild day with temperatures in the 70s.”

While the high temperature for Havre for June was 91 degrees on June 13, most of the daily highs were in the 70s and lower 80s.

The high temperature for Havre in May was 85 degrees on May 30, with many days never warming higher than the 40s and 50s.

Over the weekend, the region’s prediction is for a 20 percent to 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday night through Sunday night. No to little precipitation is predicted early next week, although by Tuesday and Wednesday a slight chance of rain is in the forecast.

Not much rain had fallen by Wednesday of this month — Havre reported .09 inches of precipitation for the month at the recording station at the Havre City-County Airport, compared to a normal amount by that day of .66 inches — but precipitation at the end of June helped get the amount for the year up.

As of Wednesday, Havre was at 6.81 inches for the calendar year and 7.99 inches for the water year that is measured from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

That was slightly above the normal value for the calendar year, 6.85 inches, but dropped below the normal value for the water year, 7.99 inches.

Havre received 2.20 inches of precipitation in June, just more than its norm of 2.19. Most of that rain came at the end of the month.

The Weather Channel forecast for Havre predicts highs to be in the mid- to upper 80s through July 25, with slight chances of precipitation through much of its forecast.