Surviving Montana Winters

"Surviving Montana Winters" is a must-watch video for anyone living or traveling through Montana during the winter months. In this video, we discuss the challenges of driving on snowy roads and the importance of preparing your vehicle for extreme winter conditions. We also cover how to prevent freezing pipes and deal with windchills as low as -40 degrees. Whether you're a seasoned Montanan or a first-time visitor, this video has valuable information to help you stay safe and comfortable during the harsh Montana winters.
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Chapters:
0:00 Montana Winter Survival
0:53 Driving in Montana Winters
2:22 Winter Driving Tips
5:12 Windchill
6:28 Flathead Lake in Winter
7:28 Prevent pipe freezing
Disclosures: All opinions are my own. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links, if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Will Friedner
Hillary Vrana
Angie Friedner
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[@EmotionallyExhausted]

If you're coming from a warmer climate, invest in a block heater for your car, a battery charger, and booster cables. Studs are great, but they're more expensive. Blizzaks are a great non-studded tire that will work very well for all conditions, and are a more affordable option. If you can still find one, manual transmissions are better, because you can slow the momentum of the vehicle by down-shifting, without applying the brakes. The most important thing is to learn how the car "feels" on ice and snow, and where that point between gripping the road and fish-tailing is. Respect the conditions, and you'll be fine.

[@LivinginMontana1]

Great advice!

[@missajimnig]

Plus remember things happen faster than you think!

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

Bizzaks cost about the same as studded tires..we bought both last fall...same size tires for 2 four wheel drive pick ups Where we live near Ronan, MT our lane is typically ice or water on ice all winter long and we definitely prefer studded tires.

[@alansach8437]

Studs are not more expensive. Blizzak tires are more expensive than studded tires. Both are good, as are the latest non studded options from Continental, Firestone and others. Tests show that studded have advantages in some conditions, and non studded have the advantage in others.

[@rafars2246]

Manual isn't better

[@jacobpalmer7589]

Winters in montana last very long. Be ready for snow and cold into june. Been here 25 years now and that is the way it is.

[@arx3516]

The perfect climate for me!

[@julissakelker8905]

From Montana here . A Northface down jacket is best.

[@dnmccurry]

Showed my husband this video. He said, I like this guy. He gives important information. We were in Bigfork for Christmas. Our son lives on the lake. He had 2 feet of snow. We built a snow fort with our 4 year old grandson. Thank you for the important information. So far we are having a more normal Montana winter.

[@mikeecho33]

the survival kit idea is a always a good idea

[@kimjacksons]

Sure 😊

[@Alek988]

And the road is next to the river. Beauty

[@paulsmith4369]

When it's cold like that you need to make sure that you layer your clothing. Especially if do anything outdoors because you DO NOT want to sweat. Believe or not you can overheat if you don't dress right because there's no humidity. Also use heat packs in your glove and boots to help your hands and feet stay warm.

[@MrHotforhoneys16]

I’m a trucker living down in Dillon. Storm gave me -35 but wasn’t too bad. The storm before this though gave me a foot of falling snow and 10 foot drifts at my property. #406 life not for the weak🤟

[@TravisDuff]

406 baby! Home sweet home

[@keithfitterer6899]

Love Montana, my son in law grew up in Sheridan, Montana. They got married in 2020 , September, in glacier park. Sooo, my wife and I took a long road trip from Pgh, pa. To glacier park criss crossing all of the historical sights along the way, approx. 2600 miles! A bucket list trip and another 1800 miles after the wedding to Salt Lake City. Love your state as we are also real estate agents and appraisers here in Pittsburgh. My daughter and son in law always talk about moving back to Montana! Waiting for the real estate bubble to break some. Nice video, happy new year!

[@dwaynewladyka577]

I can definitely relate to surviving those cold winters. It was very cold in Alberta, for a while, then it started to "warm up" on Christmas Day. Today in Edmonton, it's a balmy 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 10 degrees Celsius. Being prepared for it helps. Dressing warmly helps. Hope you have a Happy New Year. Cheers! ✌️

[@TicklerDude]

I experienced a -54F day in Alaska. Yeah that day was a bit chilly

[@jaymontgomery3330]

You can also let your kitchen faucet do a slow trickle, that will keep it from freezing.

[@TonerLow]

if you don't have a basement or are on septic this can freeze the sewer

[@BostonsF1nest]

@@TonerLow moving water thru the pipes will help prevent freezing over - even at a trickle

[@alansach8437]

It can help, but not always prevent pipes from freezing. A friend did that and woke up to find an icicle from the faucet into the drain. All pipes frozen solid!

[@hisnameisiam808]

We are in Oregon and just got a quarter inch of ice and a half an inch of snow with another layer of ice. Great sledding but you really can't walk around very well haha. The saving grace was the snow in between. Without that we would've been on our faces and butts every few seconds haha. It was in the 20s for a few days and now we are back up to fifties and rain and wind. Flooding season is here.

[@brittg3600]

I LOVE watching your videos! I grew up in Montana the Columbia Falls/Hungry Horse area and I pray I get to move back home some day! Whenever you post a video I automatically stop what I’m doing to watch! Thank you again.

[@LivinginMontana1]

Thanks for watching!!

[@LauraMidwest]

i think this storm was enough to convince me i'm not built for Montana.I will have to admire from afar. I have enough anxiety and seasonal depression with Kansas winters and the part about skin freezing was enough for me

[@mikeskywatcher6763]

Try 10000 lux lights

[@rubenwat]

Yea I was like, wow didn't know the skin can freeze like that

[@svetlanasnejka8714]

Моя мечта 🙂❄️❄️❄️🌲 Америка, большое спасибо за классное видео 👍 удачи вам в Новом Году и пусть все мечты сбываются ❤️🙏🕊️

[@majorwhite51]

Hi from an Irishman, living in Douglas (TT motorcycle road racing capital of the world) Isle of Man UK we had a bit of a freeze for a day or two, black ice and a quarter inch of snow 😂 car crash’s, cars sliding of roads, no major accidents, more of a laugh watching it on FB but man you really get it out there, stay safe, stay warm and keep plenty of good whiskey on tap 😊

[@shanecade5942]

Montana is great but wages suck

[@gwendavis1623]

So does rent. Finding a rental is hard to do. But paying $750 to $900 to rent "a room" not an apartment is insane. Seventy one percent of my income goes for rent.

[@rustybarbacles355]

Red lodge was pretty cold. Froze my pipes and flooded the hallway pretty bad. My truck would start but would go into gear. It was gnarly

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

Excellent! We love wintering here...much nicer than interior Alaska. An InReach is nice for texting via satellite in any area in MT. The snow quickly melted with highs near 50 above from Arlee to St. Ignatius. Missoula was raining when we left on Tuesday. During the 2-day cold snap, Flathead Lake was frozen as far as you could see looking north from Polson, now mostly open water a week later.

[@couragechick]

Great material - stay safe!!

[@debbieannsmith8962]

Thanks for the video. Very informative. 👍

[@svetlanasnejka8714]

Я очень люблю когда много снега ❄️❄️❄️🏔️⛄ как красиво у вас👍👍👍🙂

[@kathigee]

ugh... of course that was the week we came up to visit the kids and grands. Landed in MSO the 18th at 3:30 and drove to Whitefish in a little rental car!!. THAT was an experience I hope we dont have to do again too soon. Then we spent 6 days in Whitefish and got to experience the -28. We took the kids out sledding and lasted a total of 10 min! but a good time was had by all. Thanks for this video. I'll be following.

[@siphersfamilyrealestate1966]

If you want good Montana weather, plant yourself in the Bitterroot Valley. The banana trees produce all year long.

[@gunman-6646]

Great video! Thanks!

[@jjb3411]

Elk Park hit -74 degrees below zero farenheit. Butte got close to -40.

[@GordonRieber]

I have just installed the same vinyl shakes on the front of my home. It hit -37 in Eureka. Wood boiler pipe froze and emptied all the water. Two electric boilers had a hard time keeping up. Montana winters aren't for the faint of heart, but we loved it having survived many midwest blizzards. 😊

[@raycosman824]

The thing I noticed when I was in that part of Montana and North Dakota was the number of electric outlets in parking areas, I see now why. I was there in July so I didn’t need them.

[@martinschultz6594]

I love your channel

[@LivinginMontana1]

Thanks!

[@pto200]

Awesome drive.

[@kaydensedona]

Also use a lower gear if you are going slow because of the snowy road conditions.

[@Beccabombcorn]

I've lived in Kalispell, near Columbia falls and whitefish. Im in the Bozeman area now, last 8 years. It's not the weather for the weak lol. You get used to it. Plan ahead and be prepared

[@bbkyjohnson]

Reminds me of a drive I made 4-5 years ago from where I live in Ohio to Fort Wayne IN to meet a friend. What would normally take about 4 hours and 15 minutes took me 7 and a half hours. Never got over 45 the entire way. The weather was ridiculous. Cars in ditches everywhere. I always have boots a 0 degree sleeping bag hat and gloves and a few other things in my trunk. I’ll have to invest in a better sleeping bag for -40. Typically here -10 to -15 is the worst we see. I can only remember it in the negative 20-30 range once for about 2 weeks about 25-30 years ago?

[@CFL641]

Good video , thank you.

[@nigelrequiem]

I hope you’re all ok regards from Nottingham UK 👍

[@factsoverfeelingspam2220]

Great videos, very helpful.

[@caitlincunningham8354]

I am from Bigfork Montana...17 years Driving in Montana blizzards were normal

[@caitlincunningham8354]

I was sick of the long winters and gray days. Parking lots turned into slushy messes or ice rinks. I don't like slipping and falling. I was 9 months pregnant and stepped out of my car and instantly slipped and fell and hit my head...That was the last straw. My baby was born February 2nd and we put our house for sale

[@gdwfs]

Looks absolutely beautiful. Hi, from the other side of the world. Nice video.

[@LivinginMontana1]

Thank you very much!

[@armandosulanj4382]

thank you for this nice video

[@mariaguinea2490]

I would have a panic attack driving in these conditions! I like your videos very much, everything is so exotic for me! Thank you very much, happy christmas and happy new year! Greetings from Spain... (today, 57,2°F in my city 😊) 👋🇪🇸🇺🇸

[@LivinginMontana1]

Enjoy the warm!

[@mariaguinea2490]

For me it's not warm at all! We are also in winter, but today it was no so bad.

[@Sarah-psalm127]

I live in Montana, I avoid driving in these conditions if at all possible because I hate driving on ice.

[@johncarlo2630]

Hopefully Montana will experience some really brutal winters to prevent too many people moving there. I would hate to see this environmentally sensitive area get over developed and become Californicated like Colorado

[@Live_Known]

I recently found your channel and am planning to move to Montana in the next 6 months so this video is so helpful! Thank you! Great channel!☺️

[@LivinginMontana1]

Thanks for watching, Let us know if we can help with the move!

[@Robert-ex2qp]

Thanks for all the Good and Bad videos. So what do you do during the winter? Single digit temps below zero is doable for a short period but double digits forget it.

[@montanausa329]

Hello from Billings

[@LivinginMontana1]

Hello! Thanks for watching!

[@JG-kv4oi]

It only got down to 20 odd + below here in the Bitterroot. Used to walk to school in BC in the winter back in the early '70s. I saw 63 below F. but there was no wind.

[@jordonsikes2589]

Hello from cutbank, montana.

[@jaztykennedy9103]

Hi, I’m planing to move to cut bank maybe next year, but I’m scare sometime imaging driving in that cold weather to go to work

[@jordonsikes2589]

@@jaztykennedy9103 I'll admit that the cold weather can be a problem at times but it's something that the more you plan for and experience, the easier it gets. I've been living here for 28+ years and I'm completely used to it. Negative 20, 30, and on occasion Negative 40 degree weather doesn't bother me much. Ha, it's just another day in paradise.

[@user-qc7hr4my7r]

Montana is probably my favorite state(especially by Glacier) but I couldn’t handle those long brutal winters. We just got hammered for a few days in NW Indiana and I was over it after a couple days, lol.

[@Leon-qh9br]

I ice climbed in -30 montana was one of them

[@peggyreely8339]

I live in Missoula . Fun video to watch. Coldest winter I recall since 1988. On a side note, what is with the bouncing grey dot/bubble!???? lol . seriously tho.

[@patriotgirl4091]

I live in east montana. Went through 3 blockheaters. Just make sure you have a battery charger and a good battery

[@scottcountryman289]

Nice job touching on frozen pipes and opening cabinets. Ice dams are another subject to discuss when talking about protecting your real estate investment. You should find a roofer and tag along. Also fewer videos of Will shoveling as his technique needs work.

[@MrDurcon]

Yes, Move to Missoula they don't allow fireplaces, lol.

[@natashabenjamin4222]

I currently live in Arizona, and I dislike it. I used to live in Colorado Springs, Co, so I am familiar with some cold ( I’d think it is colder in Montana) but I agree if the weather is bad just stay home if you need to. Depending on what your occupation is some business ( obviously not first responders or medical staff at a hospital) will shut down due to bad weather. But I am ok with cold, can always add layers but you can only take so much off in the summer ( in Arizona outside of Phoenix).

[@KillaCommieFerMommie]

@ about the 1:29 mark.... LOVE those billboards on the right!!.... What other state in the union except maybe Florida would allow such a thing?.... Praise Jesus!!

[@RedRoseSeptember22]

There's plenty of billboards like that all over the country lol. :)

[@theresamorrissey9039]

Belgrade Mt had -42F before windchill.

[@CyborgZeta]

Quite a bit of people on the roads. When this winter storm passed through my state, you didn't see nearly as many cars on the road. Montanans must be made of tougher stuff.

[@randiwedlake846]

Everything goes on as usual, despite the snow and cold here in Montana. It was -79F where I live near Butte in southwestern Montana. Businesses don't close unless they have frozen pipes and school is very rarely cancelled, if ever.

[@LivinginMontana1]

We are!

[@LivinginMontana1]

Facts!

[@paulsmith4369]

We moved from West Yellowstone Montana to Bothell Washington - we get a good laugh out here every time it snows. People do not know what to do with the icy roads :). We have lots of steep hills so it's like demolition derby. We miss Montana so much - really would like to move back to where people are "normal". Miss the winters too (it was our favorite season).

[@akshat2643]

I came to know about Montana beauty from Netflix series "yellow stone" wow place.

[@RedRoseSeptember22]

Definitely looks freezing cold but dare I say pretty as well? :P

[@slandshark]

All this talk of cold, but what's the summer like? Do people grow gardens there (specifically Kalispell area)? Also kinda funny, winter of 23/24 in Auburn, WA we hit 13f outside. I did the boiling water trick and it worked great. Kids loved it too. :)

[@davidboreham]

Answering for Western Montana where this video is shot: Summer is similar to Northern California. Can get above 100 in the valley. Drops to 40s often at night in the mountains. Quite dry. Highs in the 80s typically. Once in a while there will be a wintery squall. Thunderstorms every so often. No tornados.

[@Ilovekanyewestsm]

God I love it here but it gets so cold!🏔️

[@LivinginMontana1]

It does!

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

I love it here because it is so warm compared to living for 30+ years in interior Alaska!

[@markbeach549]

Considering buying property in the area in the coming years. We are a dog family. What do you folks do with your animals when they need to relieve themselves? I have a German shorthair and for those that know the breed, they are pretty naked in the hair department.

[@LivinginMontana1]

We have a dog door and they go outside all year!

[@ScottGunMag69]

Flathead Lake on average freezes completely over once every 15 years.

[@armandosulanj4382]

beautiful amazing people inside montana stay in door

[@redcat7467]

That's kind of cute. I am not trying to pose as a "tough Russian guy" and challenge anyone here, everyone lives in his own enviroment and has his own tricks, however, it's such a fun to see that there are people in the US that need explanations what a studded tyre is. I know its not getting snowy in Alabama, but still, something unimaginable even for cityfolk in Moscow. Everyone using studded tyres here apart from dentheads that use non-stdduded winter tyres for no reason but thinking it is "progressive" or "Western" while being totally clueless it is actually regulated in some places.

[@MarkPharaoh]

This would have been useful last week 😅 but man, F this rain right now

[@LivinginMontana1]

Tell me about it

[@mattweber9643]

Next weeks video on freezing rain!

[@milomirkrunic5971]

Is there any video from Helena?Thank you.

[@LIK64]

Essex -70

[@pauldietzmann5610]

It was that cold to in Minnesota

[@alro11]

i saw that jesus billboard go by

[@juanitawiley1263]

Hello from Lakeside. I wish I knew how to add a photo of Flathead lake that I took this same day! So ominous yet beautiful!

[@seemeeseeu]

After minus 40 the good thing is zero degrees feels balmy. As a So Cal escapee this historic winter storm was our first. Off grid, no running water, electricity or house (Yet). Nothing electric or mechanical likes it that cold. Generator went out, truck wouldn't start and after the snow and bitter cold it rained up until yesterday. All the neighbors made sure we were ok! We survived! Are we crazy? WE LOVE MONTANA! The best people live here and yes tough. HAPPY NEW YEAR the best is yet to come 2023 woohoo!

[@kathrynpaigebabin]

That’s great! We’re from So Cal living in our trailer in Whitefish for the winter and it’s been so exciting.

[@electriclly]

The best is yet to come 😊 gl

[@danielgrgic1246]

I never understood rental cabins that didn't have running water, always wondered why people rent them clearly I don't know something. Without running water how do you go number 2 or wash your hands or take showers? Or brush your teeth?

[@MrVillabolo]

How do you keep your skin from freezing? I assume that it's your exposed face that is mostly vulnerable.

[@geekin7313]

90 on the highway all the way!

[@groofoot]

MT is such a gorgeous state ... c'mon, Montanans, vote Jon Tester OUT on 11-5-24 and turn MT bright Red again! 8-)

[@chris1960]

I wonder what you guys up there think about the electric vehicles 😮 ??

[@vickiedwards2571]

Just curious, how cold does it have to get before you use the space heater ?

[@LivinginMontana1]

We usually break it out when it goes below 0!

[@henrykim4230]

God, two days ago socal was 80 degrees.

[@altpropaganda7293]

Okay, so my big question is how do you dress appropriately to go outside in -40 degrees??? Can you walk around outside with the right gear??

[@LivinginMontana1]

Layers! And yes, you can walk around, people do it all the time.

[@altpropaganda7293]

@@LivinginMontana1 Thank you for the response I really appreciate that. So theoretically if you live on the north side of town, lets say around safeway, and you work at the lodge by the lake, you could walk to work just as long as you have the right clothes on? My second question would be, is it -40 closer to say 7-10 days out of the year or 30+ days? my impression was its 0-30 most of the time in december january with a few winter storm that bring in those super low temps.

[@LivinginMontana1]

Yes you could make that walk, it’s about 2 miles from Safeway to the Lodge. The -40 is rare, it only happens for maybe a day or 2 every couple of years. Normally it is low 30’s during the day and in the teens at night. If you want the bitter cold consistently, you will get it on the east side of the mountains.

[@altpropaganda7293]

@@LivinginMontana1 okay, that makes sense 👍 thank you again for the info and prompt response, I appreciate that!

[@davew2167]

$2.95 for gas? Paradise.

[@natemorgan7184]

Do you have any experiences in Helena?

[@LivinginMontana1]

I do, I did a video on Helena a couple of years ago.

[@wstevenson4913]

Nothing worse than a freezing butte

[@Rishi_yadav.2002]

Hello Mr & Mrs Friedner. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. hope your enjoying holidays. i have one request for you. it would be great if you interview a very passionate and intelligent real estate broker just like you. Her name is Ms.Kelly Parks. she's from Great Falls, Montana. Owner of famous Paris Gibson Mansion located in Great Falls.

[@shanecade5942]

The worse thing about montana is the dot don't maintain the roads

[@paulsmith4369]

Potholes and washboard roads are normal part of life in MT

[@northidahodrives]

Brrrr

[@bigal25938]

I wanted to move up there and ain’t changed my mind. My wife ain’t so sure.

[@southfloridawings1108]

I know the feeling its going to 60 here tonight. I am really surprised that code allows sinks etc are allowed to be on an outside wall. That would be a deal breaker for buying the house

[@User_92020]

How do you feel about Californians moving up there with thier liberal point of view?

[@paulsmith4369]

Not all Californians are liberal. Lots moved away because they WANT to live in place that is still conservative. We lived in Montana for 6 years and loved it. We hated Bozangeles and Missoula because of all the wierdness. But outside those cities it's great place!

[@ChuckNorris-ju5fn]

Montana is only really nice for a few months....newcomers will find out :)

[@paulsmith4369]

Seaons in Montana: Winter, More Winter, Still Winter, & Construction/Fires

[@bichchan7268]

-42 no way

[@JonesJones-np2kq]

Sounds like you need a satellite phone 😅

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

We have an InReach which allows texting and emergency SOS via satellite. Handy up in Alaska where we summer and in MT where we winter.

[@blakemcbride7838]

If people move here and don't expect and plan for the winter, they really shouldn't come at all.

[@frankmacleod2565]

Montana's beautiful but let's be honest, the weather sucks. If you have to strategize surviving the weather, and you will die without proper strategy, I don't want to live there. Wonderful state otherwise though

[@JugsOnMySack]

Just move

[@vuwanrai56]

Brrrrrr.....

[@michaeldale1150]

For most of Montana -40 is really rare

[@edlynnporter7519]

Not true,the western part maybe.

[@wes3317]

If you want to move here, get bent

[@Doc1855]

We are going to be moving to MT from the Communist Liberal ran state of Washington. Those people are like Cancer, destroying everything. First we’re going to look in the Libby area. We like people, but we enjoy our privacy too. We’re hoping to find some land about 3-5 miles from town. We get 5-7 feet of snow every winter where we live now and yes it gets cold here. When the temperature gets above 80, it’s too hot. We love the mountains and pine trees. We had to fall 17 trees to make room for our house and drain field. Our land butts up to National Forest. It’s perfect, except for the Cancerous politicians here.

[@RavenWolfDrum69]

I love Montana i wish i could leave the cess pool i live in . Liberals/this administration are ruining the great usa😢

[@arx3516]

The "Jesus" billboards are really weird, and kind of blasphemous.

[@cosminancuta7596]

All right, all right. Soooo, where's the "storm". You Americans call that weather a "storm"? Typical American exaggeration. We call that in Europe, a normal winter day. C'mon guys...toughen up! During your driving, you have not used your wipers at all. No snow flakes. It's just a cloudy day with snow on the road. Big deal. It's happening every winter in Montana, I bet. No surprises there, buddy. Nothing special about your "storm". You better get ready, so you won't be surprised: another "storm" coming in 6 months.