Welcome to NWS Glasgow

Serving the people of Northeast Montana since 1943.

Welcome to Glasgow

The Glasgow National Weather Service Office is located in Northeast Montana along the Milk River and just 20 miles north of the Missouri River. Glasgow is only an hour drive from the Saskatchewan, Canada border, and is located between Great Falls, MT and Bismarck, ND. This portion of the state has varying terrain ranging from rolling hills to isolated mountain ranges. Out on this landscape, it is fairly common to see wildlife such as elk, pronghorn, and an exhaustive list of bird species, one of those being the rare snowy owl! The opportunities are nearly endless for those who appreciate the outdoors. Recreation activities include swimming, fishing, hunting, bird watching, elk spotting, and more! Glasgow is officially the middle of nowhere, and those who live here take pride in this statement.

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Glasgow, MT

Here is the Milk River in late summertime. This river is a natural haven for beavers, turkeys, moose, whitetail deer, mule deer, coyotes, foxes, ducks, owls, and even porcupines.

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Missouri River

This is the longest river in the United States, and it flows through a large section of northeast Montana.

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Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Over 1 million acres in size, this refuge is home to vast populations of wildlife and various wildlife species. Within the refuge boundary is Fort Peck Reservoir, which was built on the Missouri River. It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States.

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The Little Rockies

This mountain range gives way to spectacular views of the plains of Montana.

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Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Home to numerous bird species, this over 30,000 acre refuge provides one of the largest pelican nesting grounds in the Lower 48 States. There is a self-guided tour visitors can take through the refuge. The spring migration is a wonder to behold here, especially for avid bird watchers!

Weather

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Climate

Here are a few facts regarding climate for Glasgow:

For the 1991-2020 average temperatures, the average Annual Extreme High is 101°, and the Annual Extreme Low is -28°.

For the same average period, the Monthly Snowfall is as follows: October - 1.5", November - 5.8", December - 8.0", January - 9.6", February - 5.8", March - 5.6", April - 2.5", and May - 0.8". Normal total snowfall is 39.8 inches, but the record is 108.6" in 2010-2011.

For the same average period, there are 26 days where the temperature reaches 90° or higher during the course of one day, and 31 days when the temperature reaches or drops below 0° during the course of one day. Glasgow is usually free of fog and smoke. It has abundant sunshine for as far north as it is, a semi-arid (fairly dry) climate, moderate winds, and pronounced temperature extremes. Annual average precipitation is 13.38 inches, with most of this falling during the late spring and summer growing season.  

Severe Weather

Even with a fairly short-lived severe weather season, there is often potential to find spectacular views of squall lines and supercell thunderstorms in of northeast Montana. The low amount of tree cover is helpful for storm viewing.

Aurora Borealis

There are many opportunities to view gorgeous displays of the northern lights, especially for those who enjoy photography!

The Joy of Winter

Beautiful Sun Dogs (one is pictured to the right) and Moon Dogs are occasionally on display during the winter season. These often form due to light hitting lofted ice crystals at the perfect angle, and then redirecting that light to reach our eyes.

Frosty Fun

Hoar frost is a quite a sight to behold, especially when freezing fog is in place for extended time periods. Lake-effect fog produced by Fort Peck Reservoir can enhance this phenomenon enough to allow multiple inches of frost to form on trees and powerlines.

WFO Glasgow - Meet Our Staff

Here are the questions asked of each staff member:

  • What is your role within the Glasgow WFO, and how long have you been here?
  • How would you describe the work environment at the office?
  • What do you enjoy about living in Glasgow?
  • What are some recommendations of things to do around Northeast Montana (indoor and/or outdoor activities)?
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Brad Mickelson - Lead Meteorologist

I began my Weather Service career in Goodland, Kansas in 2006, but have been with this office in Glasgow, Montana since my family and I moved here in Spring 2010. 

Our office work environment is one of mutual learning and leading. New employees are quickly trained up and given responsibilities as soon as they are willing and able. Good, trusting relationships are easily cultivated, which makes working together that much easier. 

Glasgow is a great place to live because the people are genuinely kind. The small-town community provides many opportunities to get involved. It's a place where we feel needed. 

For things to do, personally I would recommend disc golf, biking, gardening, and getting involved in the schools' activities, especially if you have children here.  I also enjoy music, reading, relaxing, and embarrassing my teenage kids.

Scott Rozanski - Warning Coordination Meteorologist

My name is Scott Rozanski and I am the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM). I have been in the WCM role since June 2023, however I have worked for the National Weather Service (NWS) for over 27 years. Before arriving on-station here in Glasgow, I worked a large majority of my career at the NWS office in Gaylord Michigan, though I also spent some time in forecast offices in West Virginia, Tuscaloosa Alabama, and in the Pacific at NWS Honolulu Hawaii and American Samoa (which is south of the equator).

I have worked in several National Weather Service offices across the country and I consider the work environment here in Glasgow, MT to be one of the best. The office and its personnel are welcoming, friendly and very knowledgeable with respect to the climate and weather patterns of northeast Montana.

I have found Glasgow to be very similar to the rural Michigan towns from my childhood, anchored in farming, cattle and family. However, Michigan notably has many more trees than here in Glasgow :).  I have also enjoyed seeing the pronghorn, mule deer and pheasants driving between Glasgow and Fort Peck.

The area has lots of very interesting things to see and do within a couple hours of Glasgow.  Fort Peck Theatre, about 15 miles from Glasgow, produces great live performances each summer. There are usually five different productions each season which are professionally organized and performed. The Lewis and Clark Overlook is a great view of Fort Peck Lake. The Fort Peck Interpretive Center hosts a large array of dinosaur fossils, and mounts of northeast Montana wildlife, along with a nicely paved walking path within its grounds.  Sullivan Park has a well groomed walking path along the Milk River. Sleeping Buffalo is home to some natural hot springs and good dining. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is just a few hours east of Glasgow near Williston, North Dakota, which has beautiful scenery and even some buffalo walking around.

Brandon Bigelbach - Science and Operations Officer

 I am the Science and Operations Officer for NWS Glasgow. I am responsible for training all staff and oversee research to operations. I also play a large role in the culture of the office and ensure that we are an effective team that is excited to fulfill the mission and vision of the NWS. I have been in the NWS for 8 years now (since 2015) and I have only ever been here at the Glasgow office, having started as a "Meteorologist Intern" and moved up through General Forecaster to, now, Science and Operations Officer.

The office culture here in Glasgow, to me, is one of the best in the NWS. We are pretty much a large family. We take care of each other no matter what, and without reservation. Our shifts are serious and focused when we need them to be, and are balanced out with much levity and fun when time allows. There are always pleasant conversations and smiles to go around here. It is a place that folks WANT to come to work to get out of the house and away from home for a few hours, if nothing else just to be around the rest of the staff!

First off, I can't say enough how much I love that I have a 2 minute drive to/from work each day. I can see the office from my backyard. This is something easily taken for granted given that most other offices have staff who are driving 30+ minutes each way every day for work.  Secondly, small town living, while not for everyone, is something I truly enjoy. You go to the grocery store, to the coffee shop, to the library, and you almost always see someone you know and get to have a nice conversation with those folks. When times are hard, even if you don't know some of the folks here as well as you would your co-workers, this town does not hesitate to pitch in and help. We have to take care of each other, and the folks here in Glasgow do so without hesitation or reservation. Finally, you just cannot beat the sunrises/sunsets here and the dark sky community which allows one to see so many stars (and auroras)!

While we live in an area that can be described to those passing through as "Blink and you may miss it" there is actually a TON of things for folks to do here. Do you like bowling? Got it here. Ball/Disc golf? Got multiple courses for each in the area. Hunting and Fishing? This area is like a dream for those people who enjoy those activities. Enjoy theatre? We have one of the most amazing Summer Theatres there is right in Fort Peck (20 min from Glasgow)!  There are book clubs run locally by individuals as well as by the Glasgow City-County Library. If you enjoy serving in the community, there are also many entities around town with Boards that are always looking for people to serve on.

Grant Hicks - General Forecaster

Meteorologist, Aviation Focal Point, Assistant GFE Focal Point, and resident mad scientist. I've been here for 15 years. God it's been that long? Yep just got the 8 hour AL per pay period, I can finally confirm.... it's a thing.

Amazing! I've never been around so many talented, kind hearted, accepting, motivated and dedicated individuals till I came to this job. (The nerd culture rules!)

The people(work). Everything in town is within a 5 minute drive with little to no traffic.

Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs, exploring Saint Marie, Fort Peck museum and lake, glasgow, museum, astronomy and night viewing (Beautiful clear sky and actually dark), bowling teams, hunting & fishing, team disc golf, hiking.

Ryan Bernhart - General Forecaster

I am a Meteorologist here in Glasgow. I've been with the office for over 3 years now and it's my first and only office that I've worked at. My focal points include Storm Data Verification and Space Weather.

The work environment in Glasgow is incredible. It's fun to come into work here. I don't even mind staying late or coming in on days off because the environment here is so good! The office is very supportive of you and will help you out and accommodate you in times of need.

The fact that I only live about a minute from work, the grocery store, McDonalds or any location in town. Almost anytime I run an errand around town I'll often see or pass by a coworker or other people I know. If you are a railfan, Glasgow is the town for you.  Train traffic is frequent, and you can even watch the trains come into town while sipping a beer at the Busted Knuckle, Glasgow's own local brewery!  Every type of weather imaginable happens here, severe thunderstorms with impressive cloud structure, snowstorms and blizzards, temperature swings found almost nowhere else in the country and wind that shakes the house!

In the spring and summer there are a lot of places to go bicycling.  Most roads are dirt around here so a gravel bike or mountain bike is the way to go.  Glasgow even has its own local bike shop if you need new wheels or a repair. Fort Peck Lake, one of the largest lakes in the country is only about 15 minutes away so it's a good place to go boating or fishing.  You will not have a better place in the country to view wildlife!  You can view deer, pronghorn, and even moose out here. All three of the animals I've listed have been viewed from the office, (yes even the moose)!

Photo Gallery

Image guide (from left to right). Hockey is a wonderful activity for youth and parents alike to participate in across northeast Montana. The Milk River Motorsports Demolition Derby here at the Glasgow County Fair is a thrill for those of all ages! The Fort Peck Summer Theatre has live performance shows from May through September each year, which attracts visitors from all over the United States. As indicated by the photo, people travel from across the country to fish in the Montana Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament; may the odds to catch the largest fish be in your favor! Bowling at El Cor Del Lanes is a great indoor activity to participate in during the winter months; in fact, members of the National Weather Service here are in a team bowling league. Once again, welcome to the Middle of Nowhere!

 

Attribution Each Image: Benjamin Stoinski

 

Attribution each image: Jacob Zanker

Credits

Glasgow National Weather Service Office