Great Falls was named the second most unpredictable city in the nation — weatherwise at least.
After comparing three years of data from across the United States, FiveThirtyEight.com awarded the Electric City the silver, behind Rapid City, S.D.
Authors Nate Silver and Reuben Fischer-Baum gathered data from 120 National Weather Service forecast offices to compare daily weather to long-term averages. They also considered weather statistics relating to temperature, precipitation and severe weather.
The article found that most unpredictable weather happened in cities that were landlocked.
Robert Hoeisch, a meteorologist with the Great Falls National Weather Service, said water moderates temperatures because it doesn’t change temperature as easily as air. He added that Great Falls’ unpredictabality also relied on the systems brought by Arctic air.
Hoeisch cited last year’s drastic temperature changes as an example. Dec. 7, recorded 33 degrees below zero. On Dec. 27, it was 58 degrees.
“A lot of places don’t even have that range in their lowest and highest temperatures of the year,” he said.
During its calculation, FiveThirtyEight found Great Falls had the nation’s least predictable temperature.
While Hoeisch thinks the short-term temperature changes made Great Falls stand out the most, he agrees that the city deserves its second-place title.
“We’ve had over 6 inches of snow in Great Falls in August — that’s a tough one to beat in a lot of places,” he said.
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