Winter Storm Warning as 3 Feet of Snow and a 30-Degree Crash Hit Before July

A powerful Pacific system has delivered an extraordinary return to winter weather just days before July, triggering a winter storm warning across high mountain areas of Idaho and Montana. Heavy wet snow, freezing conditions and rapidly falling temperatures created serious risks for drivers, hikers and campers.

The most dramatic forecasts extended beyond the warned region, with the highest summits of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada facing snowfall totals approaching three feet. However, those figures apply only to extreme elevations—not surrounding towns, valleys or most major roads.