Early signs of a hard winter

C

calamari

Member
Today, here in Central Calif., hundreds of vultures migrated over the house heading south, the White Oak is full of acorns and the deer seem to be in the rut about 2 weeks early. I hope this doesn't mean a tough winter for Montana because you need a break. I hope it heads here instead because we need it.
Weather predictions are for freezing rain the first week of pheasant season in the Havre area and a few days of rain in the NE corner. That's pretty long range so hopefully it'll change. Freezing rain is the worst of conditions for both ends of the gun.
 
Two years ago there was 14 inches of snow the second day of the pheasant season. In the Medicine Lake area.
 
mnmthunting said:
Two years ago there was 14 inches of snow the second day of the pheasant season. In the Medicine Lake area.
Click to expand...

That was the funnest opener I have ever had on Saturday we struggled to get our birds on Sunday it was totally different! Yea it was a bit wet and sloppy but man did the birds hold tight. Fun experience
 
Yes, I was there for that weather too but snow is different than freezing rain. Get wet during the day and then have it freeze at night or worse yet have it be rain that freezes after it hits you I believe is worse than that wind and snow we had two years ago. I hope the forecast is as unreliable as usual and it just snows. That's when you can have the fun of being a little like a dog and track birds.
 
Well now the forecast has dropped the freezing rain for Havre and is only predicting cool weather and showers for Plentywood. Sounds like pretty good scenting conditions and pleasant walking weather too. I don't know why I even bother with long range weather forecasts.
 
Pheasant Report

Calamari
Post how you do out there. I will be up in the Harvre area the middle of Oct. Looking for some directions to go.
 
They're back with the freezing rain after 3 days of plain rain for Havre. 6 days of rain for Plentywood starting 11 Oct. Real long range says the week of Oct.16-23 is the only good weather and then cold and snowstorms for final week of month. It's $1,000 just for the fuel to go and come back and with only a camper shell I need some reasonable weather. If I go, I will give details but it may not leave any good weather windows for afterward. Hard year all around.
 
Gonna be interesting...

I'll be out there 10/22-10/29. Had to go to MT, all the lodging in North Dakota was booked up months before I called. I hunted once about 20 years ago in Plentywood. Ever since then it's been ND but I'm looking forward to trying new areas. Some years are flush, some I've walked all day and hardly seen a bird. Still, hard to think of a better way to spend a day than walking around with a shotgun following my dogs. Just have to see what it brings but from the reports we're going to be working for our birds. Good luck all!

Hobie
 
js, I'm going to check out The YS in eastern MT and the Grass Range area. I will probably spend a day or 2 North of Culbertson. I'll let you know.

Just checked the forecast for Eastern MT.

Sounds very good to me, We'll see.

Fri Oct 7 Showers likely.
Sat Oct 8, Sunny highs upper 50's.
Mon, P.C. mid 60's
Tues, 20% rain 59.
Wed, P.C. 62.
Thurs P.S. 64.
Fri Morning rain 64.
 
There are some web cams for Montana that let you see the weather that's taking place in real time. It has Plentywood, Fort Peck, Glendive, Fort Benton, Great Falls and lots of other places. You have to scroll down quite a way to find Plentywood whose cameras are up at the airport near Box Elder Creek. Here's the site:

http://www.bigskyfishing.com/Web-Cams/Web-Cams.htm

Here's the long range for Plentywood which is close to what mnmthunting found. Love the way they call it Accuweather which it seldom is.

http://www.accuweather.com/us/mt/plentywood/59254/forecast-month.asp

Here's Havre's long range:

http://www.accuweather.com/us/mt/havre/59501/forecast-month.asp
 
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cams...

Awesome site Calamari! Thank you!

Hobie

<edit to add: This is SO not helping my concentration...15 days to go...>
 
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Fingers Crossed

Thus far in MT we are experiencing a rather mild winter. The meteorologists tell us to brace ourselves for another tough winter, but so far it has not developed. I've got my fingers crossed that the wildlife catch a break this year and we have an "open" winter.

Bucketmouth
 
The storm that moved thru where I live left up to 9.5 inches in some of the counties it went thru on Tues. night and wed. morning.
 
I looked at the webcam at Glendive and the Yellowstone is ice free where it was almost full of ice a couple of weeks ago. The Northern tier need a break.
 
Cal we are still "open" up here. Have had just a couple light snowfalls, that has melted. Seasonal averages mostly, for temps. North Dakota, Montana have had some milder temps. Some snow apparently in the extreme NE MT. Winter weather advisory for that area Sat night and Sunday. 1-3 inches and blowing.
That's not the bad stuff.
Last year at this time there was 2 feet plus snow all across the North Country and -20 temps and strong windchills.
This Winter so far is doing good. And nothing severe in the extended forecast.:thumbsup:
 
I hope everyone gets the weather they need and it makes for a better 2012 season. Looks like everyone and the birds have had a rough past 12 months.
 
-6 here this morning, Eastern MT is mostly 2-3 below. Still very little snow accumulation. Lakes are all froze up and only the faster streams and below dams the only open water.
 
On MT DOT cams, the one by Saco on highway 2 shows snow dept real well. Couple inches on the ground.
 
Hmmm.....not sure what lakes your referring to....Ft. Peck is still almost all open and the river is also...Been a wonderful start to winter so far compared to last year.
 
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