Many of you probably saw this on the national news this weekend, but in case you missed it, Missoula had a major avalanche hit right in the city late Friday afternoon at about 4:15 pm. This happened just one block from the school I taught at for many years before I retired.

An 8 year old boy and an older couple (in their 60's) were caught in the slide. The boy, whose mother was a student of mine a few years , was playing in the snow and the couple were in their home. These homes and the school all are right at the base of Mt. Jumbo, which forms the entrance to the Rattlesnake Valley. This is all part of the city of Missoula. Within seconds after it hit dozens of people were there with shovels and avalanche probes digging to find the boy. He was found and hour later and is now in satisfactory condition in St. Pats hospital in Missoula.

The couple was not found until 3 hours later and they survived because they were in their home at the time as as the avalanche hit the house, it broke apart and they were trapped in the rubble, but air pockets from the frame of the house gave them air to survive. They are ok but still in guarded condition.

We have had a tremendous amount of snow since Feb. 1st. Nothing in January and then winter decided to arrive in full force. At last count, as of this morning, we have had 60.5 inches of snow in Lolo since Feb. 1st. And none has melted. Nobody knows where to pile the stuff anymore. Snow mounds at intersections are 10-12 feet high. So....if any of you need some snow let me know. I'll be glad to send you some. Snow depth in my back yard is 52 inches right now. Boy, will this be a mess when it decides to get warm.

Originally Posted by: MontanaBob