Record Fall Heat in the U.S. and Canadian High Plains

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/comment.html?entrynum=307#commenttop

Temperatures on Thursday and Friday, September 25-26, soared to record levels for this time of the year in Montana, Wyoming, western North Dakota, and the south-central Canadian Plains.

After a relatively cool summer, an early fall heat wave engulfed the U.S. and Canadian High Plains on Thursday sending temperatures close to 100°F in North Dakota and Montana. The hottest reading observed was 98°F (36.7°C) at Terry, Montana and also at Wasta, South Dakota. Miles City, Montana and Williston, North Dakota both reached 97°F (36.1°C), their hottest temperatures ever observed during the fall (post September 22nd) and for so late in the year. Poplar, Montana also reached 97°F. Most sites in Montana broke or at least tied daily record highs on both September 24th and 25th, as was the case in Livingston (91°F/32.8°F) on the 25th, Helena (91°F/32.8°C) on both the 24th and 25th, Cut Bank (90°F/32.2°C) on the 25th, Missoula (92°F/33.3°C) on the 24th, Kalispell (89°F/31.7°C) on the 24th, Butte (85°F/29.4°C) on the 24th, and Bozeman (91°F/32.8°C) on the 25th. What was truly remarkable was how the warmth engulfed the entire (very large) state of Montana with warmer than normal temperatures even for mid-summer.