Big Snowy Mountains
| Big Snowy Mountains | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Greathouse Peak |
| Elevation | 8,681 ft (2,646 m) |
| Coordinates | 46°42′30″N 109°13′28″W / 46.70833°N 109.22444°W |
| Geography | |
  Big Snowy Mountains | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
The Big Snowy Mountains (
Northern Rockies, they are one of the few points of significant elevation in the immediate area and are considered one of Montana's island ranges.[2][3] The range's highest elevation is 8,681 feet (2,646 m).[4] The smaller Little Snowy Mountains
are a contiguous range immediately to the east.
About 112,000 acres of the Big Snowies are roadless, the bulk of this on the
Yellowstone.[6] A number of caves, some unexplored, exist on the west end of the range, including the frozen-walled Ice Cave, which is often up to 40 degrees cooler than outside summer temperatures.[6]
The dominant tree species include
subalpine fir on the heavily forested north slope, while the south slope is drier.[5] Wildlife includes rattlesnakes and pronghorn on the grass-covered lower elevations and deer and black bear higher up.[5]
Climate
Crystal Lake is a SNOTEL weather station in the Big Snowy Mountains.[7] Crystal Lake has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering on a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).
| Climate data for Crystal Lake, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, 1988-2023 extremes: 6050ft (1844m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 55 (13) |
62 (17) |
68 (20) |
76 (24) |
79 (26) |
90 (32) |
93 (34) |
92 (33) |
91 (33) |
81 (27) |
66 (19) |
55 (13) |
93 (34) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 49.1 (9.5) |
51.5 (10.8) |
60.0 (15.6) |
67.5 (19.7) |
73.5 (23.1) |
80.3 (26.8) |
86.3 (30.2) |
86.0 (30.0) |
81.4 (27.4) |
70.0 (21.1) |
54.7 (12.6) |
47.7 (8.7) |
87.5 (30.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.8 (−0.1) |
34.0 (1.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
48.2 (9.0) |
56.1 (13.4) |
64.2 (17.9) |
74.1 (23.4) |
73.2 (22.9) |
63.0 (17.2) |
48.5 (9.2) |
37.4 (3.0) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
50.3 (10.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.2 (−5.4) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
36.2 (2.3) |
44.0 (6.7) |
51.7 (10.9) |
59.6 (15.3) |
58.7 (14.8) |
50.1 (10.1) |
38.1 (3.4) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
38.6 (3.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.6 (−10.8) |
11.3 (−11.5) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
39.2 (4.0) |
45.1 (7.3) |
44.2 (6.8) |
37.2 (2.9) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
18.9 (−7.3) |
12.6 (−10.8) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −14.2 (−25.7) |
−13.0 (−25.0) |
−5.6 (−20.9) |
8.2 (−13.2) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
35.5 (1.9) |
33.6 (0.9) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
9.6 (−12.4) |
−4.1 (−20.1) |
−11.9 (−24.4) |
−25.4 (−31.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −34 (−37) |
−39 (−39) |
−31 (−35) |
−13 (−25) |
9 (−13) |
24 (−4) |
23 (−5) |
19 (−7) |
11 (−12) |
−16 (−27) |
−27 (−33) |
−38 (−39) |
−39 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.69 (68) |
2.57 (65) |
3.13 (80) |
5.22 (133) |
5.80 (147) |
5.33 (135) |
2.53 (64) |
2.66 (68) |
2.92 (74) |
3.67 (93) |
2.73 (69) |
2.57 (65) |
41.82 (1,061) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 39.6 (101) |
49.3 (125) |
51.8 (132) |
52.3 (133) |
41.2 (105) |
5.7 (14) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.3 (5.8) |
11.1 (28) |
19.4 (49) |
30.6 (78) |
58.4 (148) |
| Source 1: XMACIS2(normals, extremes & 2003-2020 snow depth)[8] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (precipitation)[9] | |||||||||||||
Lewistown 11 SSE is a weather station on the northern slopes of the Big Snowy Mountains, situated at an elevation of 4965 ft (1513 m).[10] Lewistown 11 SSE has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with long, snowy winters and short, warm summers.
| Climate data for Lewistown 11 SSE, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, 1949-2023 extremes: 4965ft (1513m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
63 (17) |
72 (22) |
83 (28) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
95 (35) |
89 (32) |
74 (23) |
65 (18) |
101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 55.1 (12.8) |
53.4 (11.9) |
61.1 (16.2) |
71.2 (21.8) |
76.6 (24.8) |
84.8 (29.3) |
90.9 (32.7) |
92.1 (33.4) |
88.1 (31.2) |
76.6 (24.8) |
64.8 (18.2) |
55.6 (13.1) |
90.3 (32.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37.1 (2.8) |
37.3 (2.9) |
45.4 (7.4) |
50.8 (10.4) |
61.6 (16.4) |
68.2 (20.1) |
79.6 (26.4) |
79.2 (26.2) |
69.2 (20.7) |
56.5 (13.6) |
44.2 (6.8) |
36.1 (2.3) |
55.4 (13.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.3 (−3.7) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
32.4 (0.2) |
38.5 (3.6) |
48.9 (9.4) |
55.9 (13.3) |
64.1 (17.8) |
63.2 (17.3) |
54.2 (12.3) |
43.4 (6.3) |
32.6 (0.3) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
42.3 (5.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.4 (−10.3) |
12.3 (−10.9) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
36.1 (2.3) |
43.5 (6.4) |
48.6 (9.2) |
47.1 (8.4) |
39.1 (3.9) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
29.2 (−1.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −16.6 (−27.0) |
−19.8 (−28.8) |
−7.2 (−21.8) |
7.1 (−13.8) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
34.4 (1.3) |
38.0 (3.3) |
37.1 (2.8) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
10.4 (−12.0) |
−4.0 (−20.0) |
−15.4 (−26.3) |
−26.2 (−32.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −34 (−37) |
−36 (−38) |
−35 (−37) |
−8 (−22) |
11 (−12) |
28 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
32 (0) |
18 (−8) |
−9 (−23) |
−23 (−31) |
−34 (−37) |
−36 (−38) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.90 (23) |
0.79 (20) |
1.18 (30) |
2.34 (59) |
3.87 (98) |
4.15 (105) |
2.13 (54) |
2.19 (56) |
2.07 (53) |
1.76 (45) |
1.03 (26) |
0.87 (22) |
23.28 (591) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 17.50 (44.5) |
16.40 (41.7) |
19.50 (49.5) |
17.20 (43.7) |
3.10 (7.9) |
0.20 (0.51) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
2.10 (5.3) |
8.80 (22.4) |
11.20 (28.4) |
16.10 (40.9) |
112.1 (284.81) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.8 | 6.5 | 7.8 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 13.0 | 9.9 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 98.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.1 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 41.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[11] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (temp records & 2010-2023 monthly max/mins)[12] | |||||||||||||
See also
Notes
- .
- ^ "Big Snowy Mountains". Peakbagger. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ "Greathouse Peak". Peakbagger. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ "Big Snowy Mountains". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ ISBN 0-517-58737-8.
- ^ ISBN 1-56044-393-6.
- ^ "Data of Meteorological Station Crystal Lake, Montana". geographic.org. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "Crystal Lake, Montana 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "Data of Meteorological Station Lewistown 11 Sse, Montana". geographic.org. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "Lewistown 11 SSE, Montana 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
External links
Media related to Big Snowy Mountains at Wikimedia Commons
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