Climate

Montana is a large state with considerable variation in geography, and the climate is, therefore, equally varied. Average daytime temperatures vary from 28°F (−2°C) in January to 84.5°F (29.2°C) in July. The climate has become warmer in Montana and continues to do so. The glaciers in Glacier National Park have receded and are predicted to melt away completely in a few decades.

Montana holds the record for the most dramatic temperature change to occur over a 24-hour period. In 1972 in Loma, the temperature rose from -54˚F to 49˚F.

The coldest temperature on record for Montana is also the coldest temperature for the entire contiguous U.S. On January 20, 1954, −70 F (−57 C) was recorded at a gold mining camp near Rogers Pass.

Brief History

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the area to become known as the state of Montana.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806 was the first group of white explorers to cross Montana. Hard on the heels of the expedition arrived the fur trappers and traders. Trappers brought alcohol, disease and a new economic system to native populations. The fur trade was mostly over by the 1840's due to dwindling supplies of beaver, and the loss of popularity of the beaver hat.

Roman Catholic missionaries followed the trappers into Montana. They established Saint Mary's Mission in the Bitterroot Valley, thought to be the first permanent settlement in Montana. They also promoted agriculture and built a sawmill.

The discovery of gold brought many prospectors into the area in the 1860s. The rapid influx of people led to boomtowns that grew rapidly and declined just as quickly when the gold ran out.

As more and more white people came into the area, Indians lost access to their traditional hunting grounds and conflicts grew.

Miners weren't the only early settlers in Montana. Cattle ranches began flourishing in western valleys during the 1860's as demand for beef in the new mining communities increased. After 1870 open-range cattle operations spread across the high plains, taking advantage of the free public-domain land.

During the 1880's railroads crossed Montana, and the territory became a state in 1889. Hardrock mining also began at this time. Butte became famous when silver and copper were discovered. The Anaconda Copper Company, owned by Marcus Daly, became one of the world's largest copper mining companies and exercised inordinate influence in the state.

Cattle and sheep ranches continued to take advantage of Montana's abundant grasslands. Wheat farming was popular until an extended drought, and a drop in market prices after World War I, ruined many farmers. The homestead "bust" forced many farmers to abandon Montana.

Montana's post-World War I depression extended through the 1920s and right into the Great Depression of the 1930s.

As across the nation, World War II broke the hold of the Great Depression on Montana. The war brought additional federal monies to the state, but drew young people into the service and into wartime industries on the West Coast. The resultant wartime dislocation changed Montana forever.

Post-war or “modern” Montana (1945-2000) has been characterized by a slow shift from an economy that relies on the extraction of natural resources to one that is service-based. Such traditional industries as copper, petroleum, coal, and timber have suffered wild market fluctuations and unstable employment patterns. Agriculture — while dependent on weather, a declining workforce, and international markets — has remained Montana's primary industry throughout the era. After 1970 tourism supplanted mining as the state's second largest industry. This era also saw the important shift in the state's transportation system from railroads to cars, trucks and highways.

Montanans, more conservative on the state level, frequently have split their legislative houses and sought only moderate change. An exception was the passage of a new state constitution in 1972 — one which placed more responsibility on the individual voter and made significant strides to protect the Montana environment. working out of that 1972 constitution.

Montana's post-war society has evolved significantly during the “modern” era. Still predominantly white, it has experienced the building of bridges with Indian communities and the acceptance of ethnic immigrants. Montana is is the only state in the United States whose constitution recognizes the cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed to the preservation of their cultural integrity.