BILLINGS — Montana is experiencing an early taste of summer, with temperatures soaring well above average and some areas pushing into the 90s this week. Weather experts are watching closely what the early heat could mean for the months ahead.
At Lake Elmo in Billings, residents are already flocking to the water to cool off. Trinity Gaught and her daughter Quin are among those embracing the warmth.
Watch residents talk about the warm weather:
"We're out here a lot," Gaught said Tuesday.
The pair are swimming and building sandcastles under the big sky.
"It's definitely a good thing to get your kids out," Gaught said.
With temperatures climbing, shade offers little relief.
"I mean trees don't offer that much shade. So we definitely swim to cool off," Gaught said.
MTN meteorologist Jason Stiff said the heat is close to breaking records.
"Unfortunately we have not only hotter than average weather, you can see we're gonna have some nineties, even some triple digits today, we have the fire danger, we have heat advisories as well as red flag warnings," Stiff said.
The contrast with last year is striking, according to Stiff.
"Compared to last year, the last half of May, most of the highs were in the fifties, sixties and seventies, which obviously is a lot closer to average the last day of the month," Stiff said.
Stiff said the most pressing concern with the sudden temperature spike is fire danger.
"Biggest concern would be fire danger," Stiff said.
But fire risk is not the only worry.
"A lot of people and a lot of animals may not be acclimated to getting that hot this fast since it's the first time, too. So that's why we have heat advisories too," Stiff said.
Back at Lake Elmo, Elizabeth Atterberry and her daughter Quinn are not letting the heat slow them down.
"I'm very happy it's 85 degrees," Atterberry said.
For Atterberry, the lake carries generations of family memories.
"This has been our go-to for the family my whole life. We would drive here with the convertible, with the floaties in the back, my sister and I, and my mom," Atterberry said.
Those family trips remain the best escape from the heat.
"Family getaway from the ranch, spending time with my nieces, my daughter, my sister," Atterberry said.
