Cold snap was cold, but no record-breaker

A cold snap in the Flathead Valley last week saw temperatures plummet, but didn’t break any records. Polebridge got downright frigid, dropping to 18 below Jan. 2, 25 below Jan. 3, 29 below Jan. 4 and 28 below Jan. 5.

The record low for Polebridge is 48 below officially, but Chrys Landrigan, who lived in Polebridge and was a weather observer for the National Weather Service from 1985 until 1994 when she owned the Polebridge Mercantile, recalled one day where it dropped to 50 below. She took a picture of the thermometer, she said.

In Hungry Horse, the coldest day was Jan. 5, when temperatures dropped to 21 below. Columbia Falls was relatively warm, dropping to 10 below Jan. 4 and Jan. 5. The weather in the city is moderated by the relatively warm water of the Flathead River.

The coldest day in West Glacier was Jan. 4, when temperatures dropped to 18 below.

At the Glacier Park International Airport, the temperature fell to 22 below Jan. 4 and 5, but did not break records, set in 1979.

The cold was the result of an arctic front that blew in over the New Year. The front didn’t bring much snow, but wind chills made for brisk weather. The cold air isn’t all bad, noted Flathead National Forest silviculturist Heidi Treschel. Severe cold can knock down populations of beetles that infest trees, though it’s better to have a cold snap in the fall, when the bugs are still active.

She said of greater help is snow and moisture. A sufficient snowpack slowly waters trees as it melts, which helps them fend off insects. Hot dry conditions are bad for the trees, but good for the beetles.

The Flathead Valley River snowpack is about 92 percent of average, though overall precipitation is 127 percent of average after record rains last fall.51

West Glacier saw 48.8 inches of snow in December, with 14 inches on the ground. The 30-year average is 51.1 inches, noted Glacier Park spokeswoman Lauren Alley.