There was a little cloud cover across Montana's big sky on Monday, nothing out of the ordinary, right? Well, these clouds have tropical roots. Tropical Storm Elida formed off the Pacific coast of Mexico and intensified over the eastern Pacific.
So a tropical storm, out over the open waters of the eastern Pacific, that is not much of a threat to land besides some high surf in California. So what's this have to do with Montana?
Some years and in certain conditions, tropical storm development is enhanced in the eastern Pacific, and this year those conditions are right. more tropical systems are expected to develop. in this pattern, while tropical systems rarely make direct landfall on the southwestern United States with hurricane conditions, leftover moisture from these storms can impact many states, including Montana.
In August 2023, Hurricane Hilary made landfall in Baja California and weakened, but its moisture produced heavy rain and flooding in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Some of that moisture made its way into Montana in the form of clouds, rain, and cooler summer days.
Currently, the remnants of Tropical Storm Elida are sending moisture and cloud cover across California, the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies. While significant rain is not likely for Montana, clouds, a few showers and thunderstorms will hit the state as a result of this storm from the tropics.
