First major storm of the season drops about a foot of snow in US state of Montana

HELENA, Montana (AP) — The first major snowstorm of the season dropped up to a foot (30 centimetres) of snow in the Helena, Montana, area by Wednesday morning, cancelling some school bus routes on the western side of the city as snow continued to fall throughout the morning.

Residents woke up to swirling snow, the sound of shovels on sidewalks and snowploughs on pavement just days after temperatures rose into the lower 80s. Trees with orange leaves and Halloween decorations were weighed down with snow.

The National Weather Service warned of hazardous travel on snowy mountain passes and ice on some highways when snow initially melts and then freezes as road temperatures drop.

The storm was forecast to come in waves, beginning with precipitation that fell Tuesday as rain at lower elevations in Washington state and as snow in the mountains. The snow was then forecast to spread across northern Idaho, Montana, northwestern Wyoming and North Dakota into Friday.

Cold air moving down from northwestern Canada has combined with a moist Pacific weather system, leading to freezing temperatures and expected snowfall amounts up 14 inches (36 centimetres) in Washington's northern Cascade Mountains and 18 inches (46 centimetres) in the mountains of Montana, the National Weather Service forecasts. Some higher elevations in the northern Rockies could see snow totals of 2 feet (61 centimetres) or more.

Central Montana will see the worst of the snow, said Matt Ludwig, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls.

The first snowfall of the season "is always the most dangerous because people just aren't used to it yet" after driving for months on mostly dry pavement, Ludwig said. Drivers aren't used to dealing with less traction, slower speeds and longer stopping distances, he said.

After the first 16 hours of the storm, it was Helena that saw the most accumulation. Some towns in central Montana reported 10 inches (25 centimetres) of snow, while other areas along the Rocky Mountain Front had 6 to 8 inches (16 to 20 centimetres) of snow.

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.