Thinking about Montana Think twice worst weather in Nation ! (Billings: transferring to, living)

[DontLookPhoto]

This morning we woke up to about ½" of snow on the ground. Now it's pretty much all melted out.

[Canonind]

I love the two seasons here in Montana….that's winter and 4th of July. In California I had to drive 70 miles an hour for 45 minutes to see a snowflake. There's nothing like a pretty day here…sun shining, in the pines, long shadows and big huge snow flakes coming down.

[TUowl06]

I moved to the Bozeman area from Northeastern Pennsylvania and I've found the winters to be pretty mild. As others have said, it's slightly colder and definitely more windy than back East but the lack of dampness and cloudy days makes up for it. The average high temps in this part of the state are almost identical to those in the Scranton, PA area. The biggest difference being the overnight lows due to the elevation and number of clear skies. Also, you don't get those thawing 60 degrees like you do in the Northeast. Upper 40's is about the best you'll do from mid-December until mid-February.

The relative amount of snow this area receives was the biggest surpise to me. I was expecting one 3-6" snowfall a week when i moved here and it's quite the opposite. You're lucky if you get an inch over a two week span.

[dock67]

thanks all so montana is just like ireland we get rain and wind any time of the year and thats why it is so lovely over here and green

[DontLookPhoto]

Originally Posted by dock67

thanks all so montana is just like ireland we get rain and wind any time of the year and thats why it is so lovely over here and green

Montana isn't just like anyplace, especially Ireland ! Photo below taken in western Montana. See the silver sagebrush ?
In north central Montana one can find prickly pear cactus

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by TUowl06

I moved to the Bozeman area from Northeastern Pennsylvania and I've found the winters to be pretty mild. As others have said, it's slightly colder and definitely more windy than back East but the lack of dampness and cloudy days makes up for it. The average high temps in this part of the state are almost identical to those in the Scranton, PA area. The biggest difference being the overnight lows due to the elevation and number of clear skies. Also, you don't get those thawing 60 degrees like you do in the Northeast. Upper 40's is about the best you'll do from mid-December until mid-February.

The relative amount of snow this area receives was the biggest surpise to me. I was expecting one 3-6" snowfall a week when i moved here and it's quite the opposite. You're lucky if you get an inch over a two week span.

That's been my observation as well. Clarksburg WV received about 3-6" per week of wet heavy snow. Made for slop and damp conditions. Not pleasant at all. I'm not joking one bit on this- My Godfather bought an old road grader to push snow the 2 miles of road from his year round cabin to the main road. And then it was iffy on conditions to drive. Too wet, slushy and slick most times. A blower that big was too expensive and a blade on a tractor couldn't do it. You needed A GRADER.

There was a reason we favored wood stoves- to dry things out. Nothing like oak and hickory burning to fight the cold and damp.

[DontLookPhoto]

Here is the fact: I took this photograph this morning from our apartment's front porch overlooking our town with the Salish range in the background.
I took this photo this morning 2-23-2013 at 7:30 AM, in a T shirt and barefoot ! Now I'm looking at the sun peeking and patches of blue sky showing up.

Anyone claiming that Montana has the worst weather in the nation is so full of bull it's pathetic.
However it is very unusual for us to not have any snow at all as shown in this pic, we should have at least an inch or two by now.

Here in this "Rain Shadow" we don't get much weather !

[DontLookPhoto]

Here is a photo I took with the same camera (Nikon D5100), from the same spot as my previously posted photo. This one I took at 8:20 AM 2-23-2013 with the same bare feet and the same T shirt on !
The sun is peeking big time but I bet by the end of the day it will cloud up again and we may get a few more useless flakes of snow. Heck I want the sky to dump it's guts out.

[dock67]

so what can 3 guys get u 2 in Montana who is there for 10 days we fly in to billings

[Canonind]

Your views and the photograph is wonderful (or, are wonderful). True about the bull….a little cold, some snow.. but who cares anyway at this point! We've got 9 inches and suspect it should be a tad more. I made one of my photos of over the swan mountains at sunset with a full moon (cheap camera, not a photographer). I got excited enough over the photograph that I had it made into a jigsaw puzzle (unfortunately, it was a gift and I didn't get to be the one to assemble it). Your view from the porch would be an excellent jigsaw puzzle for art on the wall.