Rock the Rockies

Flying in Montana is a bit of a two-edged sword: it's some gorgeous country, but you also get famously fickle & fierce mountain weather. Yesterday we flew SEA-GTF-HLN (Great Falls and Helena, respectively). The forecast called for 2000 BKN and 5 miles visibility in light snow at Great Falls; as we approached, the ATIS called it 3500 broken, 6 miles visibility in mist. I planned on a visual approach but briefed the ILS just in case. Sure nuff, we're 5 miles from the marker when tower says, "ABC 322, our weather is deteriorating fast. We now have 2 miles visibility in snow." I flew the ILS and ended up breaking out at only 400 feet. Ten minutes later, it was snowing hard.



But as they say in Montana, if you don't like our weather, just wait ten minutes - it'll change! By the time we left for Helena, the snow was ending. This morning dawned clear and cold, and the flight from HLN to GTF took only 13 minutes. The ramp showed no sign of yesterday's snowstorm.



After departing Great Falls, we crossed the Rockies just south of Flathead Lake, affording us a very nice morning view.



I'm in Edmonton right now. Somebody needs to get the word out to Montana & Canada that it's spring; it's been snowing here all day. Brr.

Dawn and I are moving into our townhouse this weekend (once I get back tomorrow afternoon). Yay! http://home.comcast.net/~sdweigel/home.html.