BILLINGS — While Billings saw some rain over the past 24 hours, other parts of Montana looked and felt more like January than June, with snow falling in higher elevations and piling up across the state.
In Yellowstone National Park, wildlife photographer Julie Argyle woke up to a surprising front yard topped with fresh inches of snow.
Click here to see the snowfall:
"It is pretty strange," Argyle said in an online web call. "I didn't expect to have a totally white landscape when I walked out the door."
Argyle, who said she's taken pictures in Yellowstone National Park since she was a child, said this storm is an odd one in terms of timing.
"This is definitely the latest that I've ever seen the snow happen," Argyle said. "Happy end of June everyone."
Argyle made the most of the morning, taking a video of a grizzly bear wandering in a snowy field.
"Yellowstone is beautiful no matter what season you're in and you may have winter in July," Argyle said with a laugh.
In Cooke City, owner of the Alpine Motel took a video of snow falling around town posting it to Facebook with a sarcastic question.
"Are there places in the lower 48 where it actually snows on June 29th?" the owner said. "Yes. Right here in Cooke City."
It wasn't just those two communities affected, though. Ski areas around the state received some fresh powder, highlighted by Discovery getting eight inches and Darkhorse Lake, near the Montana-Idaho state line, receiving 16 inches.
MTN Meteorologist Miller Robson witnessed the early parts of the winter weather on Saturday, when he visited the Beartooth Pass with his family. He said the weather changed quickly from rain to fresh snowflakes.
"It transitioned really quick from rain to snow… boom… just like that," Robson said as he snapped his fingers. "It was windy, and it was quite hairy there for a few minutes anyway."
Robson said that this time of year it isn't out of the ordinary to have some snowfall, but he was impressed at how quickly it arrived.
"It's not uncommon at this time of the year where you could still see a decent amount of snow up there in the mountains," Robson said.
By Monday, the Beartooth Pass was closed, with high winds and more snow in the forecast.
Robson said it's just part of the unpredictable weather Montana is known for, adding that the moisture could pay dividends after a dry winter.
"It's Montana weather. It really is," Robson said. "It could be winter 12 months out of the year."
Related:
Tough winter: Lack of snow, high winds challenged Red Lodge Mountain this season
