Winter in Montana is no joke. Could you imagine spending a night outside without shelter? Maybe 9 or 10 hours skiing sounds manageable—until you’re ready for the lodge, hot cocoa, and a juicy burger.

As I sip my hot coffee, watching elk settle on a snow-covered hillside, I can’t help but marvel at how tough they are. Montana’s wildlife survives brutal winters with only what nature provides, adapting in incredible ways.

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Hibernation

Most of us know grizzlies and black bears hibernate, but they’re not alone. Ground squirrels and marmots take hibernation to the extreme with deep hibernation. Their heart rates drop from 400 beats per minute to just 5 or 6 during their energy-conserving slumber. Bats also hibernate, as their insect-based diets vanish in winter.

credit: Canva
credit: Canva
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Life Beneath the Snow

Not all creatures hibernate. Deer mice and meadow voles stay active under the snow, creating tunnel systems to stay warm and access stored food. Surprisingly, snow acts as an insulating blanket—nature’s version of an igloo.

Surviving the Freeze

Amphibians and reptiles take even more dramatic measures. Snakes gather in rocky crevices below the frost line, forming massive hibernacula (dozens if not hundreds gathering together) to ride out the cold.

Plains spadefoot toads burrow as deep as 20 feet underground, while some frogs can survive freezing temperatures above ground. Thanks to their liver’s natural production of glycerol—a kind of biological antifreeze—these frogs endure with as much as 65% of their bodies frozen solid!

Some Animals Come to Montana for the Winter?

Surprisingly, some animals come here instead for the winter! While most birds migrate south, for a few species, south means Montana. Rough-legged hawks and Snowy owls, from the Arctic, migrate here for a better food source.

It may just be me that finds this stuff fascinating, but you have to tip your hat to the animals here. They are some truly tough critters to be able to survive Montana's unforgiving cold weather.

Credit: MontanaOutdoors

Montana's Top 6 Most Affordable Places To Live

If you're looking for a piece of Montana to call home, but you're on a budget, it can be hard to make the dream of home ownership come true. However, there are still towns here in Big Sky Country that are affordable to the average person.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

5 Winter Terms You Should Know When Living In Montana

Winter has arrived here in Montana as well as the surrounding states. You will constantly be hearing about road conditions, road closures, accidents, and total snow fall for the next few months.

There will also be terms that you hear throughout our winter season that you are not as familiar with, or think you might know what they mean but could use a little refresh. We put together 5 winter terms that anyone living in a snowy state, should all be aware of.

Gallery Credit: Megan Shaul

Here's 8 States That Have Longer And Harsher Winters Than Montana

Winter can be brutal here in Montana with lots of wind, snow, and temperatures well below zero. In fact, that alone should be a word of warning for those thinking of moving here from warmer climates.

A lot goes into being prepared to live in a state with rough winters and if you've never done it before, you certainly need to make sure that you are prepared. You need to make sure you have the right tires, vehicle, and winter clothing. Plus, I would highly suggest you learn how to drive in winter conditions before moving to a state that celebrates winter 6 months out of the year.

And while winters can be very rough here in Montana, we don't even crack the Top 5 for States With The Most Brutal Winters.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

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