A cold March into the record book

Gusting winds have been a regular occurrence in Lincoln, accompanying the recurring cold weather that shattered the local low temperature record for March. Temperatures in Lincoln dipped to minus 39 degrees at 7 a.m. Monday morning, easily beating the previous record of minus 19 degrees set in 1989.

The cold snap set new records for March low temperatures across the state, including Helena, Butte and Lewistown. However, in Elk Park north of Butte, a new state-wide record for March may have been set with a reading of minus 46 degrees. If confirmed, it will break the previous records of 45 below set in 1897 at Glasgow and matched in 1906 at Fort Logan.