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United States: 1.30m of snow in Montana over the weekend

By Karine DURAND, editor

A powerful blizzard swept through the northern Rockies over the weekend: it was the first winter offensive of the season, but also the worst snowstorm for a month of September … since 1934!

Frosty air, coming from western Canada, has been pushed by the jet stream over the northern United States since Friday: the Rockies have suffered exceptionally cold, as well as very heavy precipitation in the form of snow since Friday evening, and until Monday evening. A state of emergency has been declared by the governor of Montana.

Worst snowstorm in September … in almost 100 years

The state of Montana is the most affected, but also the Wyoming, Idaho, Washington (Mount Rainier National Park) and theAlberta (Canada). This descent of air extends to California on Monday. Over the Great Falls area of ​​Montana, and the Glacier National Park, the winds blow up to 60 to 70 km / h. Associated with a maximum temperature of 0 to -2 ° C in this zone Sunday afternoon, the feeling went down to -10 ° C at the best of the day.

This Sunday evening, in the space of 2 days, the following snow levels were recorded:

– Babb, Montana : 1m32

– Browning, Montana : 1m21 (90% of the annual average total which is 1m51!)

– Dupuyer, Montana : 94 cm

– Heart Butte, Montana : 86 cm

– East of Glacier National Park, Montana: 71 cm

– Augusta, Montana : 63 cm

It is one of the strongest snowstorms in the area, for this time of year, since that of the end of September 1934. It has therefore been almost 100 years since such an intense blizzard in September n hadn’t touched Montana!

Cold records even in desert areas

If the cold affects the north since Friday, it also affects the southern states: the California, l’Utah and the Nevada are also struck by this descent of cold air. It was 12 ° C in Reno, Nevada this Sunday afternoon and no more than 10 ° C in Salt Lake City, Utah. At this time of year, the average temperatures are rather between 23 and 28 ° C!

After a still sharp cold Tuesday, temperatures will rise again from Wednesday.

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