UPDATED
All public and private schools in Flathead County canceled classes on Friday, January 12, 2024, due to the extreme weather.
Additionally, several Flathead County services will not be available on Friday.
- Agency on Aging dining room on 11th street in Kalispell. They have signs up and social media posts stating they will not be serving lunch; however, if someone does show up, they are prepared to provide them a take-home meal.
- Meals on Wheels will not be delivering food on Friday. All recipients have been called/notified, and drivers are taking extra meals today on their deliveries. People are urged to check in on the elderly during the dangerous cold.
- The 4H Food Tasting at the Fairgrounds has been cancelled.
- The Glacier Challenge, which is an annual regional gymnastics competition has also been cancelled.
Additionally, the Hockaday Museum of Art has postponed Thursday night's Preview Reception until February 1, 2024. The museum will also be closed on Friday.
The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce has canceled its Coffee Connect event which was scheduled for Friday morning.
The Imagine IF Libraries branch in Columbia Falls is closed on Friday due to the cold. The Bigfork and Kalispell branches remain open.
Flathead County officials are reporting that a combination of snow and gusty winds is making travel difficult on Thursday afternoon.
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The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office has received several calls of low-to-no visibility on some area roads.
The Sheriff's Office posted the following on social media:
We are asking the public to stay off of the roads today, if at all possible. We are receiving reports of zero visibility, high winds, whiteout conditions, and heavy snow throughout the valley. The county and city's roads departments and law enforcement are working hard to keep up with road conditions and traffic concerns.
If you must travel, call your destination prior to leaving to ensure it is open this afternoon/evening. Be watchful for emergency vehicles and road closures.
Stay safe.
The City of Kalispell announced at 2:10 p.m. that due to severe driving conditions, Four Mile Drive between Stillwater and West Springcreek Road has been closed.
Earlier in the day, a section of Hodgson Road had been closed in the Whitefish area due to weather conditions.
The Montana Department of Transportation was reporting severe driving conditions on several roads — including U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 93 — on Thursday afternoon.
High winds and whiteout conditions are making it difficult to keep many roads clear.
