Heavy Rain and Flooding Close Many Glacier Valley
National Weather Service officials have issued a flood watch in northwest Montana as inches of rain continues to flood creeks and streams ahead of a busy Fourth of July weekend
By Maggie Dresser
As heavy rainfall continues to saturate western Montana, flooding has prompted the closure of the alpine section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the entire Many Glacier Valley in Glacier National Park.
Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, the Many Glacier Campground and Many Glacier Hotel are closed to the public while the Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed between Avalanche and Rising Sun due to heavy rain and debris after opening fully for the season last Monday. Many Glacier boat tours and horseback riding activities have also been suspended due to flooding.
In the past 24 hours, the high terrain along the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park and areas in the Swan Range have received up to 6 inches of rain as small streams and creeks flood, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Officials have issued a flood watch in northwest Montana as precipitation is forecast to continue falling at rates of half-an-inch to three-quarters of an inch per hour through this evening before tapering off late tonight.
Additional areas at risk of flooding include Lake McDonald and Apgar in Glacier Park along with Nyack and Pinnacle in the Middle Fork Flathead River corridor on U.S. Highway 2.
Through early Tuesday morning, up to 2 inches of rain could fall in northwest Montana’s valleys with up to 3 inches forecast in high elevations, with the potential for hazards including rockslides, debris and runoff.
The heavy rain has also prompted the region’s rivers to rise significantly, with the three forks of the Flathead River system rising a foot-and-a-half over the last 24 hours, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center.
On the Middle Fork, the streamflow gage jumped to 5.5 feet on June 29 with levels expected to rise to 7 feet by midnight tonight before dropping back to 4 feet by this weekend
The North Fork is expected to rise to nearly 8 feet before levels lower to 4.5 feet by the Fourth of July, at which point Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino expects the region’s waterways to see a high volume of traffic. He warned that new river hazards like strainers could surprise recreationists and floaters.
“The water is high and hazards have been reported,” Heino said. “Please be cautious and wear life jackets — water temperatures are still cold. Resources are [available] but will be stretched with the many events in the valley.”
According to NWS, the low-pressure system is expected to exit the region Tuesday morning but “anomalous moisture” will remain in the atmosphere, with the potential for thunderstorms and localized heavy rain.