Deep freeze settles over Flathead

An extreme cold weather warning was issued for the Flathead Valley through 11 a.m. Monday morning, with thermometer readings expected to crash as low as 15 to 30 degrees below zero.

“An extreme cold warning means that dangerously low temperatures are expected for a prolonged period of time,” the National Weather Service in Missoula warned. “Frostbite and hypothermia are likely if exposed to these temperatures.”

Local power outages and broken pipes are possible.

Most of Northwest Montana flirted with record low temperatures Sunday morning. Polebridge woke up to a reading of minus 37, making it one of the coldest spots in the state, according to the Weather Service. Whitefish and West Glacier dipped to minus 22, and it was minus 24 west of Kalispell near Kila.

The mercury bottomed out at minus 10 on Sunday morning at the weather station at Glacier Park International Airport. Factor in the wind, and it felt like minus 29 in Kalispell.

The wind chill registered minus 49 in Essex, and Whitefish Mountain Resort delayed the opening of its main lift to the summit of Big Mountain due to wind chill readings of near minus 40. Access to the summit was closed all day Saturday because of dangerously cold conditions.

The arctic surge is expected to continue through Tuesday, with temperatures running about 20 degrees below average.