The Big Snowy Mountains () are a small
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...
south of
Lewistown in
Fergus County, Montana
Fergus County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 11,446. Its county seat is Lewistown, Montana, Lewistown. The county was founded in 1885 and na ...
. Considerably east of and isolated from the main crest of the
Northern Rockies, they are one of the few points of significant elevation in the immediate area and are considered one of Montana's
island ranges. The range's highest elevation is .
The smaller
Little Snowy Mountains are a contiguous range immediately to the east.
About 112,000 acres of the Big Snowies are roadless, the bulk of this on the
Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning . The region was inhabited by various cultures of Native Americans for a period of at least 8,000–10,000 years. When the Lewis and Clark Expedition ca ...
, as well as 6,870 acres in the Twin Coulees
Wilderness Study Area on adjacent
BLM land;
98,000 acres of the National Forest land are also a Wilderness Study Area.
[ The Big Snowies features a long, relatively level east-west summit ridge, rising above timberline, that culminates in Greathouse Peak, the highest point in the range.]Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
to Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
.[ A number of caves, some unexplored, exist on the west end of the range, including the frozen-walled Ice Cave, which is often up to 40 degrees cooler than outside summer temperatures.][
The dominant tree species include ]ponderosa pine
''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine, is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is t ...
, douglas-fir
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Or ...
, and subalpine fir on the heavily forested north slope, while the south slope is drier.[ Wildlife includes rattlesnakes and ]pronghorn
The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American ante ...
on the grass-covered lower elevations and deer and black bear higher up.[
]
Climate
Crystal Lake is a SNOTEL weather station in the Big Snowy Mountains.subalpine climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfc''), bordering on a humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfb'').
Lewistown 11 SSE is a weather station on the northern slopes of the Big Snowy Mountains, situated at an elevation of 4965 ft (1513 m).humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfb''), with long, snowy winters and short, warm summers.
See also
* List of mountain ranges in Montana
Notes
External links
*
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of Montana
Landforms of Fergus County, Montana