October thunderstorm a rarity

POLSON —When the Leader went to press on Tuesday, the region was experiencing a spell of severe weather, as thunderstorms, hail and 50 mph gusts of wind assailed residents of northern Idaho and northwestern Montana.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), such extreme weather is unusual for this time of year. NWS meteorologist Ryan Leach reported that data gathered over the past 44 years at the Kalispell airport shows that the region averages only 0.4 thunderstorm days each October.

In other words, “it’s only once every (few) years that you get a thunderstorm in October,” Leach said.

Leach also mentioned that local thunderstorm frequency typically peaks in June, with thunder being reported on an average of 5.3 days in that month. Following the summer months, storm activity tapers off, with Kalispell recording an average of only 0.1 thunderstorm days in November and 0.0 throughout the winter.