Video shows summer snowfall amid winter weather warning

Videos and photos shared on social media showed snow falling in Montana amid a winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Missoula.

According to the advisory, up to a foot of snow had fallen in some parts of Glacier National Park. A frost watch and freeze warning were also in effect Thursday morning in Missoula as temperatures dipped to 80 degrees thanks to a cold front, though the advisories were expected to expire later in the morning. Temperatures dropped enough that forecasters warned people to protect tender crops and vegetables.

“There are currently two counties in the US under a winter weather advisory and my sister is in one of them,” posted one user on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s snowing in Glacier National Park today.”

The video showed snow falling in the park. A second video included in the post showed cars carefully navigating a road where snow had begun to accumulate.

NWS meteorologist Alex Lukinbeal said Newsweek Magazine The heavy snowfall was abnormal for August, even in Glacier National Park. The first snowfall of the season typically falls during the first week of September and only measures a few inches.

“A foot of snow to the point of having to close the road is definitely abnormal for August,” he said.

The snow was heavy enough that Glacier National Park officials closed the Going-to-the-Sun Road between Avalanche Creek and Jackson Glacier Overlook “due to dangerous road conditions caused by snow and ice.”

“The closure will remain in effect until conditions improve,” the alert said.

However, Lukinbeal doesn’t expect the snow to stick around for long. Temperatures are already above freezing and Lukinbeal said Newsweek Magazine The park is expected to warm up and dry out fairly quickly this weekend.

“It’s hard to say for sure how long the snow will hold out, but there will definitely be a lot of melting today and tomorrow,” he said. “So by the holidays, it will probably be almost completely gone.”

Temperatures are expected to return to above normal levels for this time of year on Friday. There is no indication of snow in the forecast.

The freezing temperatures and snowfall come as other parts of the United States battle scorching temperatures that are pushing daily highs into record territory. Earlier this week, cities in Indiana and Illinois broke records for daily high temperatures, and other cities like St. Louis, Missouri, and Louisville, Kentucky, matched their highs.

Warm weather will continue across the Eastern U.S. on Thursday, though temperatures will begin to cool to average levels by the end of the weekend.