Unstable July Weather

After relentless rain in the month of June, the beginning of July felt like the beginning of summer weather for many. Lately, however, Montana’s climate patterns are throwing residents for a loop. The hottest day in July was a whopping 93 degrees. This comes as no surprise, though, because July 2023 has broken records across the board globally. In fact, July 6th was declared Earth’s hottest day. The average planetary temperature recorded by one of the University of Maine’s weather tools was 63 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature surpassed the previous record that was set on July 3rd (62.9 degrees) and tied on July 5th (62.9). The record prior to these two dates was set in August of 2016, where the temperature landed at 62.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot weather continued throughout the majority of July, with high winds kicking up the risk of fires in the area. Fires in parts of Montana and large areas of Canada have been drifting smoke into the Meagher area, making the outside conditions miserable to sensitive groups. Recently, severe thunder and lighting storms have been a cause for concern. On the night of July 27th, lightning could be seen striking in various places in the mountains surrounding White Sulphur Springs and loud thunder claps were shaking the roofs of many locals. However, the storm did not bring a lot of moisture to the area. Less than a quarter inch of rainfall was recorded near White Sulphur Springs. In the afternoon of July 28th, in Martinsdale, a raging hail storm overtook the area. Wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour were reported and hail pelted down on the land. This, of course, comes as a tragedy to ranchers in the region, as their precious hay crop could potentially be damaged. As July winds down, it is questionable what Mother Nature has in store for Meagher County in August after a tough winter, gritty spring, inclement June, and odd July.