Parts of Montana, US, were hit by a rare storm, with many regions covered with snow in he first weekend of summer. A similar weather phenomenon was also seen in parts of the Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, and the Cascade Range.
Astronomical summer began on June 20/21, but locals in some Western parts of the US experienced something "Cold But Pure Magic" - snowfall. Social media users shared photos and videos of snow, calling it "crazy" as millions of people across central and eastern parts of the nation are under a "heat dome" warning.
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Earlier this week, the National Weather Service (NWS) alerted that parts of northern Montana will be hit by heavy and wet snow in higher elevations of Glacier National Park.
Snowfall in summer is rare, as it can occur during summer months in certain regions, often at high elevations or in areas with unique weather patterns.
Internet users shared photos and videos of snowfall. One user wrote, "Cold but pure magic!!"
"Friday might have been the first day of astronomical summer, but it looked a lot like winter on Mount Rainier in Washington," another user wrote.
"It's the first Saturday of summer and it's still snowing in the mountains across parts of the West," one user updated on X (formerly Twitter).
The NWS stated that snow totals could top out at 12 to 18 inches at elevations above 6,000 feet near Glacier National Park. Meanwhile, the rest of the Rockies and Cascades could see a couple of inches of snow fall at elevations as low as 5,000 feet.
Is the summer snow rare?
The Weather Channel reported that June snow is rare, but not unusual for the Rockies. Snow in June has fallen before in Denver; Flagstaff, Arizona; Salt Lake City and Tahoe City, California.
Snowfall in June was previously seen in the West in 2019, 2020 and 2023, and in the northern Rockies, it happened in July 2016.
