If you've spent any time outdoors the past four days in Western Montana, you could probably guess that we've hit record low temperatures.
We haven't just set new records, we've blown them out of the water. The lows have been 10, 11 and 8 the last three mornings in Missoula, and we've gone at least nine degrees lower than the old record each morning.
In addition, wind chill values were in the teens during the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.
Not that it's any comfort, the lowest average temperature for the entire year comes in late December and early January. That number is 15 degrees.
Click here to find out how to stay safe during this extreme cold snap
A record low of 8 degrees was set at the Missoula airport on Monday morning, breaking the old record of 22, which was set in 2002.
Meanwhile, Kalispell saw a very cold 2 degrees, breaking the record of 14, set back in 2002. And not to be left out, Butte checked in with a record low temperature for October 12th of 6 degrees, breaking the old record of 10, which was set in 2008.
Record low temps have been set around Montana due to the arctic cold snap. In Billings, the mercury dipped to 14 degrees on Sunday, breaking the 1959 record of 22 degrees.
On Monday morning, the National Weather Service reported the temp had fallen to 13, breaking the old mark of 22 degrees set in 1969. But weather officials warned that the thermometer could drop even further in the Magic City.
- Additional reporting from Mark Thorsell in Missoula
(from October 11, 2009)
The National Weather Service predicted freezing temperatures and snow flurries both Saturday and Sunday for most of eastern Montana.
Meanwhile, temperatures in parts of western Montana were near zero overnight, and record lows were set in Missoula, Kalispell and Butte on Sunday.
Anticipating the chilly temperatures, many high school marching bands pulled out of the University of Montana's homecoming parade on Saturday
John Combs, Fine Arts Director for Missoula County Public Schools, says it was difficult to yank hundreds of students from the parade lineup. But, the alternative was kids possibly slipping on ice or getting sick.
While it's unexpected for early October, forecasters are warning western Montanans to be on their guard for frostbite the rest of the weekend.
A cold, arctic, air mass flowing from Canada has pushed temperatures well below season normals, setting record low temperatures on Saturday and Sunday.
Missoula's official low temperature of 10 degrees Saturday broke a 36 year record while Kalispell sat at 5 degrees, well below the previous record of 16 degrees set in October of 1987.
National Weather Service officials say that outflow winds from east of the Divide will push through gaps in the mountains like Hellgate and Badrock canyons through Sunday.
The winds are expected to blow up to 25 miles per hour, creating wind chill of up to 20 below for the Flathead and Mission valleys, and around 10 below in the Missoula Valley.
