Up until this most recent storm, whispers of this upcoming fire season have been growing louder and louder. There have been several small wildland fires that firefighters have responded to. Without snow on the ground and record warm temperatures, multiple blazes have started when they normally would not.
So, should we be concerned about this upcoming fire season already? Yes, and no.
Snowpack is below average in the mountains and in the lower elevations. January was generally in the top 10 warmest and driest Januaries for most of Montana. But there is some good news and some hope.
Precipitation for the water year, beginning October 1st, is above average for all of Montana. This much-needed storm that's moving through the state was a record breaker. While the storm did not douse everyone with moderate to heavy precipitation, Helena set a new record amount of precipitation for the date. And this one storm alone produced more precipitation in the capital in one day than the average amount of precipitation for the entire month of February. Wetter and colder than normal weather should continue for the next several weeks.
December, January and February are the driest months for most of Montana. March, April, May and June are the wettest months. If the precipitation does not fall then, fire season concerns will truly be validated.
Before the record-breaking wildfire season in 2017, when more than a million acres burned across Big Sky Country, the state fell into a deep drought during those spring months, setting the stage for a fiery summer even though a snowy winter preceded it.
