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ANOTHER WET PERIOD WAS THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY. COOLER TEMPERATURES
ALOFT COMBINED WITH WARM MOIST AIR AT THE SURFACE AND TOUCHED OFF A
DAILY ROUND OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN THE 1ST AND THE 6TH.
EAST HELENA WAS PUMMELED WITH GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL ON THE 1ST.

IT THEN RETURNED TO A DRY PATTERN THAT CONTINUED THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF
SEPTEMBER. BUT UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS MONTHS...THIS DRY SPELL WAS WORSENED
BY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THAT BAKED THE SOIL. THERE WERE 13 DAYS IN
THE 90S IN JULY AND 11 IN AUGUST. FOR THE YEAR THERE WERE 30 DAYS WITH
A READING OF 90 OR GREATER...12 MORE THAN NORMAL. THE 101 DEGREES
RECORDED ON JULY 30TH WAS THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE IN HELENA SINCE 1990.
DURING THIS TIME SEVERAL WILDFIRES STARTED AND SMOKY AIR PLAGUED THE
HELENA VALLEY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER.

ONE OF THE HOTTEST MID-SEPTEMBER DAYS EVER RECORDED IN MONTANA OCCURRED
ON THE 15TH...WITH HELENA GETTING UP TO A RECORD HIGH 94 DEGREES. BUT
THEN THE HEAT WAVE CAME TO AN ABRUPT END...AND THE CITY PICKED UP ITS
FIRST SNOW ON THE 21ST.

A MOIST LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SET UP OVER WESTERN MONTANA ON OCTOBER 10TH
TO THE 12TH PROVIDING COPIOUS RAINS WHICH BRIEFLY CHANGED TO SNOW AND
PUT OUT REMAINING WILDFIRES. HELENA SET AN OCTOBER RECORD WITH 1.01
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IN 24 HOURS DURING THIS PERIOD.