Man killed in wreck on Monday

An 18-year-old Kalispell man was killed in a two-vehicle accident on snowy roads Monday night about 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Birch Grove Road and U.S. Highway 2.

The victim, David Jordon Milliren, 18, was the driver of a car that was struck by a sports utility vehicle. Police say he was not wearing his seatbelt and died of massive chest trauma at the scene.

Three other victims, whose names were not immediately available, were transported to area hospitals.

Snow and rain has pummeled the Flathead Valley since Christmas Eve. A storm brought roughly 16 inches of snow to Columbia Falls on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. By Sunday, Whitefish Mountain Resort was reporting 22 inches of new snow over the past two days. Then another storm blew in Sunday and brought rain and icy conditions.

The rain changed to snow Monday, with about two inches in Columbia Falls and more in the high country.

The snow resulted in numerous wrecks over the holiday. There were also some small slides reported. One up canyon Creek went over the Canyon Creek groomed snowmobile trail and another briefly blocked the North Fork Road.

Another round of snow is expected today (Thursday) and more throughout the week.

Temperatures have also moderated considerably. Last week they were well below zero. Now highs are in the high 20s and 30s. The area snowpack is also creeping up to more normal levels.

The snow water equivalent is now about 69 percent of average and the total precipitation is about 80 percent of average for the Flathead Basin.