Stage is set for spring and summer runoff

After an erratic winter brought a little bit of everything weather-wise to the Treasure State, spring followed suit with another change-up. In stark contrast to March, which yielded record low precipitation in some parts of the state, April precipitation was above average at many mountain and valley locations in western Montana, except along the southwest Idaho border. An active storm pattern delivered most of this month’s precipitation during the first three weeks of April, falling as both rain and snow in mountain and valley locations.

“Some monitoring sites in valleys and mountains...