Hoot Owls in Montana

[ScottP]

Sun and Smith Rivers as of July 9

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/restrictions/waterClosure.html

I expect a lot more will be joining the list before long; here's our latest 10 day forecast (pretty similar throughout the state). Good chance it's going to be a nasty fire season.




Regards,
Scott

[Don_P]

Forecasts for the area are for dry and 3 digit temps later next week. Hope that doesn't carry on too long.

[ScottP]

Already a hell of a lot hotter than 2015, which was a terrible fire season in NW Montana. Thank goodness spring was long and wet; that might help, some.

Regards,
Scott

[Longs for Cutts]

Higher water will make a huge difference. We were already brushing 70-degree water temps some days at this point last year on the Yellowstone. Now we're running 60-63 as a daily swing and it's unlikely to increase much. It's always a race between the snowmelt and the heat. The higher the snowpack, the longer the melt, the less time we have heat and low water combined. By the time the Yellowstone at least gets low enough for the heat to really bite it, the nights will be cold even if we stay in this hot pattern.

[John Rhoades]

Our 15 day forecast here in Paradise Valley doesn't look quite that hot, Scott, and the daily highs that were forecast the past couple days were mitigated by afternoon thunderstorms that passed through this part of the state.

Right now though, the Yellowstone is in great shape, and the trout are looking up to feast on some of the heavy hatches of bugs that we are experiencing now.

John