Mission Mountains

The Mission Mountains photographed from along the lower Flathead River.

Flathead River on March 7

Quite a difference from only two weeks ago when ice chunks were piled up across the surface of the river from bank to bank, and quite different from this morning when clouds are sweeping in from the southwest bringing a rain/snow mix again.

Cold River

Every winter after an extended period of sub-zero weather brought by an influx of cold air down from the Arctic, ice builds up on the Flathead River in this location which is about 150 miles south and west of Glacier National Park, a few miles from where it flows into the Clark Fork of the Columbia River. It’s always worth a visit.

The ice cakes form over an area of several miles upstream where the river is smooth and slower moving. When it reaches this canyon, the river narrows and becomes quite deep and fast flowing and the ice cakes that have formed above collect and pile up on the river surface in the canyon. In many parts of Montana ice dams similar to this can cause problems with flooding, but this one causes no trouble.

 

River fog

While observing the ice jams on the lower Flathead River yesterday, I encountered foggy conditions for several miles along the river. That can be pretty too.

Visitors

Today I went out to check on the Flathead River again to see what the ice was doing and this time drove up river another 5 – 6 miles. There were several sections of open water followed by other areas where it has ice bank-to-bank and it took the photo above of one of the open areas. On the way back I noticed some visitors on the ice shelf on the other side, some Tundra Swans which are fairly common here but always a delight to see.

Cold River

After several sub-zero nights ice is forming on western Montana rivers. These photos are of the Flathead River about a hundred miles downstream from Glacier National Park. By the coming weekend, ice will cover this part of the river from bank to bank.