El Nino

Despite initial fears of a severe fire season, recent weather improvements in the Northern Rockies may reduce wildfire risks this summer.

Every La Nina pattern is like a snowflake.

Dr. Kolb clarified his fears for the upcoming fire season.

There was a huge flip in temperatures across the nation this past week.

The upcoming winter will be influenced by neither an El Nino nor a La Nina atmospheric pattern, so pinning down a long term forecast is difficult.

Western Montana had lots of snow in the high country last winter with the La Nina pattern that dominated the northwest, but the opposite is expected for this winter.

Despite the warm, relatively dry winter and the early spring that western Montana has experienced, the National Weather Service says there is plenty of snow pack in area mountains.

An El Nino weather system led to an extremely warm winter with very few days with below zero temperatures in Western Montana says NOAA Senior Forecaster Bob Nester.

Is winter really over?

According to NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2015 was the warmest year since records began being kept in the 1880's.