You may recall posts here earlier in the winter about the remarkable amount of snow that fell on my home in northeastern Montana. So far our seasonal total stands at 105 inches. Well, all that snow is starting to thaw, and as I wrote about last week in my Billings Gazette column, everybody in this rural valley is preparing in some way or another for a very sodden season.
 
So the other night my family and I finally did what we’ve discussed for weeks: we filled our quota of nearly 100 sandbags. I’ll circle back later on our experience—suffice it to say for now that bringing order to three tons of sand will tweak your back, harden your hands and bring new appreciation to the bag-holding capabilities of 1st and 4th graders.
 
So how bad will the flood be? It’s hard to say, but before it gets better, it’s going to get worse, at least according to the National Weather Service.

Comments (4)

from 270XBolt 4/4/2011 at 02:42pm

Once you get done flushing all that water down the Milk it will then raise its ugly head again when it gets to my place on the Missouri. It may get bad if the 3' or more of river ice decides to jam up. It is already backing up and there is now 1' of standing water in my hunting area.

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from DSMbirddog 4/4/2011 at 11:50am

Andrew, have you heard anything from your DNR regarding the mortality rates for deer, antelope, elk, etc?

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from GerryBethge 4/3/2011 at 11:03am

Hey Andrew---

Way to batten down the hatches...the snowfall total here in the Berkshires of New England is right at 95 inches (three fresh inches the other night), but thankfully winter has finally broken. Still a foot up in the woods, but the fields are bare as are the lowlands. Heard my first gobble of the spring this morning and things seem to be improving rapidly--yet not rapidly enough. A couple of more rainstorms and all this should be cleaned up. High streams, lots of mud, constant flurries, but the woodcock are here. Can blackflies be far away?

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from www.dropjhook.com 4/3/2011 at 09:52am

Hunting Editor, it just snowed again on our side of Montana

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from www.dropjhook.com 4/3/2011 at 09:52am

Hunting Editor, it just snowed again on our side of Montana

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from GerryBethge 4/3/2011 at 11:03am

Hey Andrew---

Way to batten down the hatches...the snowfall total here in the Berkshires of New England is right at 95 inches (three fresh inches the other night), but thankfully winter has finally broken. Still a foot up in the woods, but the fields are bare as are the lowlands. Heard my first gobble of the spring this morning and things seem to be improving rapidly--yet not rapidly enough. A couple of more rainstorms and all this should be cleaned up. High streams, lots of mud, constant flurries, but the woodcock are here. Can blackflies be far away?

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from DSMbirddog 4/4/2011 at 11:50am

Andrew, have you heard anything from your DNR regarding the mortality rates for deer, antelope, elk, etc?

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from 270XBolt 4/4/2011 at 02:42pm

Once you get done flushing all that water down the Milk it will then raise its ugly head again when it gets to my place on the Missouri. It may get bad if the 3' or more of river ice decides to jam up. It is already backing up and there is now 1' of standing water in my hunting area.

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