Western Montana has a unique environment with some of the most ecologically diverse places in the world such as Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park. The topography in Western Montana ranges from 600m-4,000m with the average being around 1,037m.
Western Montana is hot and dry during the summer with the average year round temperature being 52.8 degrees Fahrenheit, however during the winter and summer we experience extreme temperatures. More often than not during the summer we have extreme danger for wildfires in our conifer forests. When wildfires do happen often times we see decreases in air quality. Because of our lack of rainfall, 15” a year to be exact, we rely heavily on the snowpack to provide water for our streams and wildlife communities.
Due to changing weather and climate patterns, we can expect to see an increase in hot days during the summer and winter months. This means that there will be an increase of droughts and wildfires during the summer and less cold days and snowpack during the winter.
We live in a semi-arid climate. We need to be able to model our adaptations to the climate itself. Whether by composting away from trees so it has access to more nutrients or simply turning off the AC at night, there’s something every homeowner and renter alike can do to be more sustainable.