Wind, Snow, Rain and Flooding
by Maggie Craig
March 23, 2026
March has delivered some wild weather around northwest
Montana.
On Thursday, March 12, high winds slammed the area, toppling trees, scattering debris and creating power outages for thousands of Libby and Troy customers. Hard-hit areas included south of Libby, Farm to Market Road, Bear Creek, River Road, Quartz Creek and Bull Lake. Gusts were recorded in excess of 50 MPH, although higher gusts likely caused the extensive damage encountered with fallen trees and snapped power poles.
Snow blanketed the area on Friday, March 13, with as much as eight inches falling in some areas. Power crews worked in the cold and snow to replace several snapped power poles
along Highway 2 south of Libby after first having to remove
downed trees. Crews worked as well along Highway 56 to
restore power to Troy customers.
And then the rain came, with heavy rain falling on Friday,
March 20. That led to a flood watch issued by the National
Weather Service for area streams and rivers for Saturday,
March 21. The Fisher River and Libby Creek were running high
on Saturday, leading to a muddy Kootenai River downstream.
The high water, however, was not as serious as the flooding
that occurred in December.
So once again area residents are cleaning up after another
weather event, as if December wasn't bad enough. Calmer weather is forecast for the next few days and with luck, maybe northwest Montana can enjoy an uneventful spring.
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