Posts from the ‘Weather’ category

Rosy gold dawn

Halloween morn dawned with a rosy-orange sky. When I walked to the edge of the woods I could see the colors, the mountains and the gold of the larch in the foreground. I didn’t capture the colors quite as I remember – the sky was softer and the larch brighter – you will need to use your imagination a bit…

This last week – 10 days has been Fall Perfection – sunny days, with impossibly blue skies and the soft colors of the grass and trees as they change and die. Since I took this morning’s photos, the sky has clouded over and the temperature dropped a bit. The forecast is for a change to rainy and then wintry (next week) weather. It has always at least flurried on Halloween night when I’ve been in Montana… we’ll see what happens tonight, but this morning I caught a bit more of fall…

…in the rosy gold dawn.

Early Winter Storm

Those pretty photos of snow on the mountains here in the Flathead Valley were only the “tip of the iceberg” for an early winter storm. Here, it has been sunny but very cold for this time of year – in the low 20’s last night, mid 40’s yesterday and until last night a cold wind from the south east.

But southwest Montana – a very different story…

Montana Department of Transportation has a great web site for travelers. (So do WY, CO and probably others…) A state highway map shows road conditions. In the summer, construction delays and circumstances are detailed. In winter, the above. I use this site and have used Wyoming and Colorado sites when I’ve travelled in my motorhome in winter, which I love to do! But I allow plenty of time so as to be able to sit out dangerous driving conditions. It is tools like these which help me make the decision to go or stay parked.

Monida Pass (above from the MT DOT web cams) is currently closed for blowing, drifting snow and icy conditions. Above shows why. Monida Pass is on I15 – the road south into Idaho and then Utah. It is a high, wide, open pass with a gradual ascent and descent versus a steep, winding through the mountains pass. It is prone to very high winds

Homestake Pass is on I90 heading east from my location. Going east it is a gradual ascent, but a steep, winding descent. It is beautiful, and good road, but can be treacherous. The summit rest and vehicle check area has an ominous sign about the number of truckers killed on the eastern descent and warns of checking equipment thoroughly and obeying all speed signs (25 mph for over 10,000 lbs) until the descent flattens out.

I am glad to not be near it in the motorhome today! And much as I love winter and snow, I also love fall and am not unhappy that this storm missed my area. November is plenty soon for snow on the ground. I will be happy to enjoy a couple more weeks of fall!

Friday morning walk

Some clouds are starting to drift in today as a forecast cool front makes its way to our neck of the woods. We have had a week of days reaching nearly to or slightly above the 80 degree mark with nights in the upper 30 – low 40’s. The angle of the sun is low enough and the nights cool enough that it barely hits the high before it rapidly cools down again but it has been very pleasant to sit outside in the evening and enjoy what could be the last of what feels like summer.

And although I have been abnormally busy this week as I crammed some house and yard projects into the schedule, we never skip walks or some quiet time just sitting outside. I have been taking the camera, but the summer-like cloudless conditions with very dry air created a hazy sky and while I still think it is beautiful, it did not make for what seemed like interesting photos.

But, this morning, a few clouds, a bit more humidity, the sun through the trees…I couldn’t resist.

Friday morning walk.