Little Belt Mountains

Coordinates: 46°45′N 110°24′W / 46.750°N 110.400°W / 46.750; -110.400
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Little Belt Mountains
Early season on the Smith River
Highest point
PeakBig Baldy Mountain
Elevation9,175 ft (2,797 m)
Geography
CountryUnited States
RegionMontana
Range coordinates46°45′N 110°24′W / 46.750°N 110.400°W / 46.750; -110.400
Parent rangeRocky Mountains

The Little Belt Mountains are a section of the

Belt, MT
. The highest point in the Little Belt Range is Big Baldy Mountain at 9,467 feet (2,886 m).

The Little Belts have been mined for silver since the 1880s, and for sapphire since 1896.[1] The sapphires, called Yogo sapphires as they are mined near Yogo Creek, occur in a formation three miles (4.8 km) long and eight feet (2.4 m) across.[1]

The mountains are named for a butte in the range, Belt Butte, itself named for a band of white rock which encircles it.[2]

The Showdown Ski Area holds the state's record for snowfall, 33 feet (10 m) of snow in one winter.[1]

The mountain range of gently rolling peaks and expansive conifer forests contains two large roadless areas. The smaller area, about 92,000 acres (370 km2) in size, is protected as the Middle Fork-Judith

whitebark pine, while lower elevations contain ponderosa pine and douglas fir intermixed with grassy parks and meadows. The larger area, encompassing the Tenderfoot Creek drainage, in the western portion of the range, is unprotected and about 108,000 acres (440 km2) in size; it includes some private lands as well as about 98,000 acres (400 km2) of roadless Lewis and Clark National Forest lands.[3] The Smith River Canyon, a popular float trip, is along the western edge of this area.[3]

douglas-fir are the predominant tree species in the Little Belts, and wildlife includes black bear, elk, and white-tailed and mule deer.[3][5]

Climate

Millegan 14 SE is a weather station in the southwestern Little Belt Mountains near Woods Mountain, 7,533 ft (2,296 m).[6] Millegan has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).

Climate data for Millegan 14 SE, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, 1984-2020 extremes: 4970ft (1515m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 59
(15) 		67
(19) 		71
(22) 		80
(27) 		86
(30) 		96
(36) 		98
(37) 		96
(36) 		92
(33) 		86
(30) 		70
(21) 		60
(16) 		98
(37)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 50.4
(10.2) 		52.0
(11.1) 		60.9
(16.1) 		70.5
(21.4) 		78.5
(25.8) 		85.5
(29.7) 		91.6
(33.1) 		90.7
(32.6) 		86.5
(30.3) 		75.4
(24.1) 		60.6
(15.9) 		49.9
(9.9) 		92.7
(33.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 33.3
(0.7) 		35.2
(1.8) 		44.1
(6.7) 		52.0
(11.1) 		61.2
(16.2) 		69.8
(21.0) 		80.2
(26.8) 		79.8
(26.6) 		69.3
(20.7) 		54.3
(12.4) 		41.1
(5.1) 		32.1
(0.1) 		54.4
(12.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 22.3
(−5.4) 		23.4
(−4.8) 		31.9
(−0.1) 		39.0
(3.9) 		47.6
(8.7) 		55.5
(13.1) 		63.3
(17.4) 		62.2
(16.8) 		53.3
(11.8) 		41.3
(5.2) 		29.8
(−1.2) 		21.7
(−5.7) 		40.9
(5.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 10.3
(−12.1) 		11.2
(−11.6) 		18.1
(−7.7) 		25.0
(−3.9) 		32.5
(0.3) 		39.0
(3.9) 		44.4
(6.9) 		42.7
(5.9) 		35.3
(1.8) 		26.4
(−3.1) 		18.9
(−7.3) 		10.3
(−12.1) 		26.2
(−3.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −16.3
(−26.8) 		−13.7
(−25.4) 		−3.4
(−19.7) 		10.2
(−12.1) 		21.3
(−5.9) 		29.9
(−1.2) 		36.6
(2.6) 		34.0
(1.1) 		24.8
(−4.0) 		8.1
(−13.3) 		−5.0
(−20.6) 		−14.0
(−25.6) 		−26.2
(−32.3)
Record low °F (°C) −37
(−38) 		−44
(−42) 		−36
(−38) 		−7
(−22) 		8
(−13) 		25
(−4) 		30
(−1) 		22
(−6) 		10
(−12) 		−19
(−28) 		−24
(−31) 		−39
(−39) 		−44
(−42)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.03
(26) 		1.11
(28) 		1.14
(29) 		2.11
(54) 		2.58
(66) 		3.61
(92) 		1.92
(49) 		1.44
(37) 		1.36
(35) 		1.59
(40) 		0.91
(23) 		0.82
(21) 		19.62
(500)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 23.20
(58.9) 		24.40
(62.0) 		22.60
(57.4) 		22.20
(56.4) 		3.40
(8.6) 		1.40
(3.6) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.90
(2.3) 		7.20
(18.3) 		20.30
(51.6) 		23.70
(60.2) 		149.3
(379.3)
Source 1: NOAA[7]
Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins)[8]

See also

Notes

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-918373-76-X
    .
  2. doi:10.1353/anl.2016.0025
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-517-58737-8
    .
  4. ^ Montana Wilderness Association. "Wilderness Study Areas". Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  5. ^ French, Brett (January 22, 2021). "Creation of a new herd". The Lewiston Tribune. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
  6. ^ "Woods Mountain". Peakery. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  7. ^ "Millegan 14 SE, Montana 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  8. ^ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 24, 2023.

External links


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