Flood threat reduced, Sperry Chalet damage extensive

A warm dry week lies ahead and with each passing day the threat of flooding is diminishing.

"Unless we get a rain on snow event, we should be past the worst," National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Johnson said Monday.

The Flathead River and its mainstems all came close to or barely reached flood stage in the past few weeks. While some lawns and low-lying areas were flooded, no major damage was reported. The rivers are expected to slowly come down in the next few days, Johnson said.

But several feet of snow remains in the higher terrain. On one hand, the high snowpack almost assures a long rafting season, but the same snows have made high-country travel difficult if not impossible. Glacier National Park officials warned backcountry travelers this week that they can expect snow on mountain passes into mid-August.

More than 70 inches of snow is recorded at the Flattop Mountain SNOTEL site in the Park. The Bob Marshall Wilderness has similar snow levels, and 76 inches of snow is recorded at the Noisy Basin SNOTEL site on the Swan Range. Both sites are above 6,000 feet elevation.

Snow damage to Glacier Park's Sperry Chalet has also altered its schedule. An avalanche struck the chalet in January damaging four rooms, while the snow load also caused significant damage to the roofs and rafters of both the kitchen and dormitory buildings.

The chalet is not expected to open until at least July 19, Belton Chalets Inc., concessionaire that runs the chalets, said online last week.

With crews needing to work on the structures in late August through September, the concessionaire said it will cancel all reservations in September and probably some from the last week of August.

Belton Chalets said it will make a follow-up announcement as soon as the exact dates are determined.