Do you guys always bypass autumn and go straight to winter in Montana? I love the snow, but I prefer for it to wait until the leaves have fallen. Then I want it to come as quickly as possible!
We usually have a period of up to three months when the weather is very mixed. This snow will be gone in a few days and the temperature will be back up into the 40’s there. Winter doesn’t usually really get set in until late December.
This little snow won’t last long this time, although a thousand feet higher it was freezing rain and a cold wind. We will still probably have an Indian summer before real winter arrives.
This is normal for here. We will still have a beautiful fall, hopefully into December. The snow level was above 6,000 feet, rain below that. The folks in the valley didn’t even know it snowed up there because it was in the clouds.
Thanks Jo. The low growing bushes and shrubs are well into their change of color now, especially the huckleberry (red) and the trees are just beginning. After a rather dull fall last year caused by a very early hard freeze, this fall should be very colorful.
Yesterday it was raining here too, up to about 6,000 feet where it was turning to snow. This photo was at about 6,500 feet and it was snowing quite well. When I cleared the trees at about 7,000 feet where I thought there would be a pretty good buildup of snow there was a strong wind blowing freezing rain. It is time to start keeping my Yaktrax in my pack.
The trail is quite steep although the photo doesn’t show it that way, but it’s so pretty through the old-growth forest there that a slow climb is very pleasant anyway.
There really wasn’t enough snow for tracking. I did see a few deer and lots of grouse, as usual there. With that many grouse I’ll bet there are also lots of smaller predators.
It’s just something to get used to, Barbara. I love to see it piled high in the mountains because I know that will sustain our water supply in the summer. I don’t always enjoy using the snow blower though.
Hi Montucky, I am glad you are happy for having that snow there. I am glad that we are having a bright sunny warm day with only light breezes in the upper 60’s here in TN. Have a wonderful day and stay warm.
The weather there and here is so different. My daughter who live there send me pictures of her trips to the beach and I send here mine of snow on the trails.
This time of year we have the best of both worlds. We can visit the new snow high on the mountains while being a little warmer here with clear roads. This photo was taken at an elevation of nearly a mile higher than our house, yet only a short drive and a two hour hike away.
When I took this photo the snow was still coming down. The snow here stays very clean because the air is. Later in the winter though it will accumulate duff from the trees.
I still wear shorts sometimes on my morning bike rides, although not when the temp is below about 40 though as it has been the last few days. It looks as though it will freeze tonight here and the forecast for the next few nights calls for temps in the high 20’s.
Oh my, I guess winter is finally getting ready to make an appearance. Temperatures dropped here last week, lots of northerly (very strong) winds … no snow yet … but, snow in the mountains means it can not be that far away for me. It is not all that bad … a dusting of snow can make for very pretty pictures like yours.
A little snow this time of the season is just for practice! In about a month it might start getting serious. We’re looking for another heavy snow year!
🙂
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Comment by Homestead Ramblings — October 14, 2011 @ 8:06 pm
It’s a start!
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Comment by montucky — October 14, 2011 @ 8:11 pm
Do you guys always bypass autumn and go straight to winter in Montana? I love the snow, but I prefer for it to wait until the leaves have fallen. Then I want it to come as quickly as possible!
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Comment by jomegat — October 14, 2011 @ 8:07 pm
We usually have a period of up to three months when the weather is very mixed. This snow will be gone in a few days and the temperature will be back up into the 40’s there. Winter doesn’t usually really get set in until late December.
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Comment by montucky — October 14, 2011 @ 8:14 pm
Too soon, too soon!
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Comment by Bo Mackison — October 14, 2011 @ 8:08 pm
This little snow won’t last long this time, although a thousand feet higher it was freezing rain and a cold wind. We will still probably have an Indian summer before real winter arrives.
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Comment by montucky — October 14, 2011 @ 8:16 pm
Oh say it isn’t so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bah.
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Comment by Roberta — October 14, 2011 @ 8:41 pm
This is normal for here. We will still have a beautiful fall, hopefully into December. The snow level was above 6,000 feet, rain below that. The folks in the valley didn’t even know it snowed up there because it was in the clouds.
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Comment by montucky — October 14, 2011 @ 8:55 pm
I see that you found the snow
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Comment by Evangeline Art Photography — October 14, 2011 @ 8:48 pm
Yes, we’ve had some in the higher elevations. I think they got quite a bit more in Glacier Park than we had here.
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Comment by montucky — October 14, 2011 @ 8:56 pm
Whoa, seems so early. Pretty, though. Soon the WordPress snowflakes will be back to complement your photos.
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Comment by Candace — October 14, 2011 @ 9:49 pm
I had forgotten about the snowflakes. There were some real ones in the air today though!
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Comment by montucky — October 14, 2011 @ 9:58 pm
Wow, that’s beautiful! Such lovely, rich colours.
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Comment by Jo Woolf — October 15, 2011 @ 12:47 am
Thanks Jo. The low growing bushes and shrubs are well into their change of color now, especially the huckleberry (red) and the trees are just beginning. After a rather dull fall last year caused by a very early hard freeze, this fall should be very colorful.
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 8:23 am
Great photo, montucky! It’s not uncommon for us to get a dusting of snow this time of year, either. But right now it’s rain.
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Comment by farmhouse stories — October 15, 2011 @ 5:06 am
Yesterday it was raining here too, up to about 6,000 feet where it was turning to snow. This photo was at about 6,500 feet and it was snowing quite well. When I cleared the trees at about 7,000 feet where I thought there would be a pretty good buildup of snow there was a strong wind blowing freezing rain. It is time to start keeping my Yaktrax in my pack.
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 8:29 am
Perfectly dusted 🙂
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Comment by thedailyclick — October 15, 2011 @ 6:53 am
Nice way to describe it!
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 8:31 am
Beautiful photo and what an enticing trail….
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Comment by Teresa Evangeline — October 15, 2011 @ 8:30 am
The trail is quite steep although the photo doesn’t show it that way, but it’s so pretty through the old-growth forest there that a slow climb is very pleasant anyway.
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 8:35 am
Lovely colors. Did you see many animal tracks? 🙂
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Comment by Maureen — October 15, 2011 @ 9:01 am
There really wasn’t enough snow for tracking. I did see a few deer and lots of grouse, as usual there. With that many grouse I’ll bet there are also lots of smaller predators.
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 9:10 am
While this is a beautiful scene, I could do without the snow. 🙂
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Comment by Barbara — October 15, 2011 @ 9:24 am
It’s just something to get used to, Barbara. I love to see it piled high in the mountains because I know that will sustain our water supply in the summer. I don’t always enjoy using the snow blower though.
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 10:29 am
Hi Montucky, I am glad you are happy for having that snow there. I am glad that we are having a bright sunny warm day with only light breezes in the upper 60’s here in TN. Have a wonderful day and stay warm.
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Comment by wildlifewatcher — October 15, 2011 @ 11:40 am
Your weather sounds delightful for early fall! We have some warmer weather coming up next week.
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 3:35 pm
no!!!!
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Comment by Kim — October 15, 2011 @ 12:54 pm
It’s getting to be that time, Kim! There was snow on the Rattlesnakes earlier this week and I hear that Lolo Peak was pretty white the other day too.
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Comment by montucky — October 15, 2011 @ 3:33 pm
And what a color it is. Beautiful picture. Today, I’m glad I was too warm on a walk along a creek in Santa Rosa, CA.
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Comment by badwalker — October 15, 2011 @ 4:33 pm
The weather there and here is so different. My daughter who live there send me pictures of her trips to the beach and I send here mine of snow on the trails.
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Comment by montucky — October 16, 2011 @ 9:59 pm
Very pretty, but hoping we won’t see any of that here for a while longer!
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Comment by kateri — October 15, 2011 @ 8:32 pm
This time of year we have the best of both worlds. We can visit the new snow high on the mountains while being a little warmer here with clear roads. This photo was taken at an elevation of nearly a mile higher than our house, yet only a short drive and a two hour hike away.
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Comment by montucky — October 16, 2011 @ 10:02 pm
Is that every pretty! But, I hope you get a lot more hiking (and photoraphy) time in the mountains before deep snow.
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Comment by sandy — October 16, 2011 @ 11:04 am
We will. The deep snow doesn’t usually come before the end of the year, at least at the lower elevations.
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Comment by montucky — October 16, 2011 @ 10:03 pm
wow! autumn dressed in a veil of snow is gorgeous!
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Comment by Tammie — October 16, 2011 @ 12:08 pm
Yes, it does make for some very pretty scenes. This was just a light snow and in a limited band across the mountain.
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Comment by montucky — October 16, 2011 @ 10:04 pm
Great shot! You capture when snow is pretty and hasn’t gotten dirty and began to melt.
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Comment by Maggie — October 16, 2011 @ 3:56 pm
When I took this photo the snow was still coming down. The snow here stays very clean because the air is. Later in the winter though it will accumulate duff from the trees.
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Comment by montucky — October 16, 2011 @ 10:05 pm
Oh wow… sure is pretty! 🙂
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Comment by kcjewel — October 16, 2011 @ 7:27 pm
It really is a pretty time of year. I’m getting used to wearing rain gear again: and keeping extra warm layers of clothing in my pack!
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Comment by montucky — October 16, 2011 @ 10:07 pm
well, it’s pretty but I am glad we are still wearing shorts down here! we are supposed to have a cool spell coming this week though!
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Comment by silken — October 16, 2011 @ 9:04 pm
I still wear shorts sometimes on my morning bike rides, although not when the temp is below about 40 though as it has been the last few days. It looks as though it will freeze tonight here and the forecast for the next few nights calls for temps in the high 20’s.
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Comment by montucky — October 16, 2011 @ 10:13 pm
Oh my, I guess winter is finally getting ready to make an appearance. Temperatures dropped here last week, lots of northerly (very strong) winds … no snow yet … but, snow in the mountains means it can not be that far away for me. It is not all that bad … a dusting of snow can make for very pretty pictures like yours.
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Comment by bearyweather — October 17, 2011 @ 7:16 am
A little snow this time of the season is just for practice! In about a month it might start getting serious. We’re looking for another heavy snow year!
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Comment by montucky — October 17, 2011 @ 9:48 pm
I’ll say! Color pretty with the snow! Gorgeous scene.
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Comment by Anna — October 17, 2011 @ 5:53 pm
Thanks Anna. The leaves are turning rather quickly now. I hope to get out again in a couple more days.
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Comment by montucky — October 17, 2011 @ 9:50 pm
The first snow always seems to have a magical quality to it.
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Comment by knightofswords — October 20, 2011 @ 8:32 am
It really does. It’s also a welcome change from the hotter times of summer.
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Comment by montucky — October 20, 2011 @ 8:38 pm
A light dusting… nice one!
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Comment by Victoria — October 20, 2011 @ 11:03 am
The snow was in a rather narrow elevation band: below it was rain and above, freezing rain.
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Comment by montucky — October 20, 2011 @ 8:39 pm
I really love the colors in this photo Montucky.
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Comment by Preston Surface — October 21, 2011 @ 3:40 am
That’s a fairly typical high mountain trail in this area Preston. It sure gets colorful up there in the fall!
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Comment by montucky — October 21, 2011 @ 6:55 pm