Records Fall As Artic Weather Takes Over Montana

In case you were unaware, it's been cold here in Montana.

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While much of the country has dealt with winter weather issues such as several inches of snow in the south, including Florida, Montanans are in the middle of a cold snap and it's not well received. Of course, winter weather is nothing new, but that doesn't mean people still don't complain about it.

Yes, it's that time of year when car batteries fail and people start to say "Someone tell me why we live here again?"

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Don't get me wrong, I'm no stranger to the cold.

Before we moved back to Montana, we lived in North Dakota just south of the Canadian border in the coldest city in the lower 48. There were days with the windchill that it felt like 80 below. It was flat with very few trees and the snow drifts would easily get up to 7 feet.

So when we moved back to the Treasure State, it was a warm (literally) welcome. However, the last couple of days have brought not only freezing temperatures, but have broken records.

Take yesterday for example. When I pulled into work the temperature was 26 below without the windchill. That's just cold. And while it's nowhere near the coldest temperature on record (-70 below at Rodgers Pass) it set a record for the day.

Before yesterday temp, the coldest day was back in 2021 when it reached 15 below.

So what do you do on days like that? Well, you dress warm, make sure you have all the essentials at home and travel with a winter emergency kit. The last thing you want to deal with on record-breaking weather days is not being prepared.

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These cold temperatures will pass soon enough, but even a little time exposed in these elements can lead to frostbite or worse. If you're wondering what you should have in your winter emergency kit, check out the items listed below.