Over 100 accidents reported along I-90 in one day

It’s been another week of intense weather for Mineral County residents. Starting five miles west of Missoula and heading west, travelers faced icy slippery roads on Wednesday. This caused several cars and trucks to slide off the road and into the median. 

On the east side of I-90, more accidents caused both lanes of traffic to shut down for several hours as tow trucks were called in to clear the wreckage. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, there were 108 incidents along I-90 that day.

There was light snow on Thursday night, which transitioned into freezing rain by Friday morning, causing freezing rain and dangerous conditions. According to the National Weather Service, all of the I-90 corridor looked bad for travelers causing dozens of accidents in the area.

By Saturday, snow dumped down the corridor with a record-breaking 4.1 inches. The previous record set for this day was 2.2 inches in the early 1980s. 

During Christmas week, there was another storm warning for Monday evening until Tuesday, with gusty winds as high as 30 mph and snow. The forecast called for 5 to 10 inches of snow over mountain passes, with 2 to 5 inches in the lower elevations. Temperatures are predicted to be in the mid- to upper 20s to the low 30s, and in the teens at night for the remainder of the week. 

The National Weather and Climate Center predicts that December through February will bring below-median precipitation through early spring across the Northern Rockies with above-normal temperatures, which is consistent with a strong El Nino.