Posted on 06/29/2026 7:28:21 AM PDT by sopo
Men's Journal: Breaking News
It seemed hard to believe at first. The National Weather Service was really issuing WINTER storm warnings for snow in late June?
But it really happened. Three U.S. states were hit with the winter storm warnings, and Yellowstone National Park was seeing snow. That has a lot of people wondering why and what caused the unusual phenomenon. Even stranger, the summer snowfall alerts were coming as the eastern third of the U.S. faced what could be a record-breaking heat wave with the heat index even predicted to reach 115 degrees in some places.
According to USA Today, the weather alerts covered “portions of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming — particularly in higher elevations along their shared border.” As for Yellowstone, “Snow and rain showers. A slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Snow accumulation up to 6 inches,” the forecast read for June 29, confirming that the snow in June claims are real.
A ‘Deep Under-Level Trough’ Is Causing the Winter Storm Snow Alerts Due to an ‘Unseasonably Cold Air Mass’ According to USA Today, the storm “is being driven by a deep upper-level trough plunging into the Rockies and Intermountain West, dragging in an unseasonably cold air mass that is dropping temperatures 15 to 20 degrees below normal in some areas.”
Yellowstone National Park was among the areas seeing snow, according to Fox Weather.
“Rare late-June Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect as snow falls, even in places like Yellowstone National Park,” Fox reported. “Snow fell in Western mountain resorts in June, surprising skiers and spectators,” Powder.com reported. “Resorts like Brighton, Alta, Big Sky, and Timberline reported brief summer snowfall.”
Is the snowfall unusual? After all, mountain passes are at a high elevation. Yes. It’s happened before, but it’s rare, Fox Weather reported, noting: “Montana typically only sees one Winter Storm Warning in the month of June, while Idaho has only had two such alerts since 2020.”
The Idaho State Journal also noted that the snowfall was unusual, writing, “East Idaho is swinging from summer to winter and back again — a temperature whiplash dramatic enough to put a rare winter storm warning on the books and put some local cities within striking distance of decades-old cold records.”
The newspaper added that the National Weather Service “has issued a winter storm warning — for late June — covering the backcountry of Lemhi County above 6,500 feet. The warning, in effect Saturday evening through Monday morning, calls for 4 to 8 inches of heavy wet snow in Lemhi County with up to a foot possible across the highest peaks, driven by west winds gusting up to 30 mph.” The forecast had turned into rain by early June 29.
The newspaper continued: “while mountain snow in late June in East Idaho is not all that unusual, a winter storm warning is a very much rare occurrence.”
But Was Snow Really Predicted – in June? yellowstone Visitors take photos of the Lower Falls in Grand Canyon. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Yes, the NWS alerts do mention snow
The National Weather Service’s Office in Great Falls, Montana, reported on June 29, 2026, “Heavy wet snow. Additional snow accumulations up to 4 inches,” adding, “Wet snow may down trees and block access to forest roadways.” That alert was for Northwest Beaverhead County, including the cities of Wisdom, Wise River, Dewey, Big Hole Pass, and Chief Joseph Pass.
On June 27, the NWS reported, “Heavy wet snow expected above 6500 feet. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches, with up to 12 inches across the highest peaks.” This snowfall was predicted to last through the morning of June 29.
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Had a blizzard outta nowhere in June when I was little in Kalispell, MT. It happens
Experienced a snow shower on June 7 when visiting Deadwood, SD some years ago.
Looks like a grilled steak ,LOL
Timberline can get snow in August.
All I know is it feels like an October day this morning here in Eastern Washington. 53, wind and rain.
Must be all the Global Warming Al Gore kept warning us about.
FREEZE WARNINGS IN WINNEMUCCA-—NE OF RENO
Hotter in France, cooler here - it all equals out.
😴😴😴😴😴. Just trying to counter the heat wave in europistan.
😊👍🇺🇸
In 1985, I was with a group from a college that was visiting Yellowstone in June. We were going to camp out, but a snowstorm hit and nobody was equipped for snow camping. Fortunately one of the group knew a girl whose parents owned a vacation home nearby, so we all stayed there overnight. Next day the weather was fine and we had a really nice visit to the park.
I was driving across Montana in 1981 and on the 6th of June, as I was passting through Livingston, there were warnings on the radio of highways being closed for snow to the north and the south of there.
Many years ago my father took us through the Rockies and we got a fair amount of snow in August in the higher elevations. It was pretty cool to be able to have a snow ball fight in August.
A.1. Mountain
How’s that Global Warming working for you Dims?
Four more days below average high are predicted.
I have lived here for more than 20 years.
I do not recall any summer cold wave that lasted more than 3-4 days.
A month ago - May 31 - my heat actually clicked on, during the day time!
Our official temp is measured next to a run way at Sea-Tac Airport.
Downtown Seattle is usually 1-3 degrees cooler than Sea-Tac.
I’m in Cheyenne. Gonna be 77/sunny today.
On my birthday in late August I was able to go snow sledding in Cheyenne back in 1958...It happens.
Under-Level Trough? Never heard it called that before. Everything I have ever heard is Upper-Level Trough.
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