MONTANA — Powerful winds swept through Western Montana Wednesday night into Thursday, knocking out power and forcing closures across the state. We are tracking all known outages and closures and will continue to update this page throughout the day.
Current Outages:
Over 3,000 people are without power across Northwest Montana this morning, according to Flathead Electric Cooperative Inc..
Most of the outages are reported in the Libby, Troy, Bigfork and Lakeside areas.
For a current look at outages across Western Montana, visit this website.
School Closures:
Due to the severe weather, many schools across Montana have closed completely or canceled bus routes for the day.
However, some after-school activities like sports and clubs may still be taking place — so be sure to check directly with your school or district for the latest information before making any plans.
Current Closures:
- Flathead County schools
- Bigfork Public Schools
- Kalispell Public Schools
- Columbia Falls District
- Whitehall Elementary (still open, bus routes canceled)
- Thompson Falls Public Schools
- Flathead Valley Community College (Kalispell and Lincoln)
- Blackfeet Community College
- Butte schools
- Libby Public Schools
Travel Conditions:
Montana Highway Patrol is urging drivers to use extreme caution on roadways across western Montana following last night's weather.
Lookout Pass remains hazardous due to slippery and icy conditions, and downed trees and power lines are blocking roads across the state.
Several are blocked due to storm damage including a fallen tree on MT-200 near Heron, a downed power line fully blocking MT-56 in the Bull Lake area and a tree down causing a full blockage on US-2 near Troy.
US-93 near Lolo, I-90 near Ninemile, I-90 near Greenough Hill and MT-200 near St. Regis are also reporting wet and slippery conditions.
If you must travel, make sure your gas tank is full and pack food, water and warm clothes before heading out.
We will continue to update this page as the weather develops.
