Freezing rain delays school in Alberton

By Mineral Independent

Harsh weather conditions continued to plague western Montana, when school was delayed for two hours in Alberton, on Jan. 19. Slippery road conditions caused the delay, and included Noxon, Polson, Thompson Falls and Trout Creek.

The Montana Department of Transportation reported freezing rain and fog along I-90 that morning. Along with a Winter Weather Advisory for the Mission and Flathead valleys, and the Kootenai, Cabinet Region. The National Weather Service had a freezing rain advisory reported until 11 a.m. for the Blackfoot Region, the West Glacier Region and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

All of this winter’s harsh weather is despite a report by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), which announced that Earth’s 2016 surface temperatures were the warmest since modern record-keeping began in 1880. Also, 2016 was the third consecutive hottest year in a row.

Data shows the average global temperatures were 1.78 degrees Fahrenheit (0.99 degrees Celsius) warmer than the mid-20th century mean. Princeton University concluded that the weather change makes conditions hotter, wetter or wilder in some places, and milder in other areas.

Communities along the U.S.-Canadian border could see 10 to 15 more days of nice weather by 2100. They may have more uncomfortable summers, and spring, fall, and winter may feel warmer and drier.

Milder weather could bring mixed blessings for Montana’s outdoor economy, according to Norma Nickerson at the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, in a recent interview.

“If we’re at a more comfortable level, people like that,” she said, “it might change the things people like to do if May looks more like July. Businesses can make more money.”

However, warmer, milder weather could hurt winter businesses like skiing and snowmobiling. It’s important to understand and predict weather changes, not only for business and industry, but also to contribute to research on the future of physical and mental health, leisure and urban planning, the NOAA reported.