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Butte, Mont. – April 22, 2026 – The U.S. Weather Service is forecasting several inches of snow and high winds across Montana. NorthWestern Energy is urging customers to put safety first.

After several days of milder weather, a significant weather pattern change is forecast to begin Wednesday evening, April 22, across Montana. This system is expected to bring strong winds and widespread precipitation that will transition to snow, with several inches of accumulation possible in many areas of the state. Gusty to strong winds combined with heavy, wet snow could lead to snow loading on trees with newly developed foliage or already weakened branches, increasing the potential for power outages.

NorthWestern Energy is closely monitoring conditions and preparing for potential impacts, and customers are encouraged to be ready for rapidly changing weather and possible service disruptions as winter-like conditions return.

It’s critical to stay well away from downed or low‑hanging power lines. If you see a damaged or fallen line, keep your distance and report it immediately.

Never touch a power line or anything in contact with it, including trees. Keep people, equipment, and objects at least 30 feet away, and never attempt to remove a fallen tree or branch from a power line.

Stay connected:

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For outage updates and safety information, visit NorthWesternEnergy.com.

For the latest weather alerts and forecasts, visit the Montana National Weather Service sites at https://www.weather.gov/mso/ and https://www.weather.gov/tfx and https://www.weather.gov/byz/

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NorthWestern Energy - Delivering a Bright Future

NorthWestern Energy, provides essential energy infrastructure and valuable services that enrich lives and empower communities while serving as long-term partners to our customers and communities. We work to deliver safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions that create value for customers, communities, employees, and investors. We do this by providing low-cost and reliable service performed by highly-adaptable and skilled employees. We provide electricity and / or natural gas to approximately 842,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Yellowstone National Park. Our operations in Montana and Yellowstone National Park are conducted through our subsidiary, NW Corp, and our operations in South Dakota and Nebraska are conducted through our subsidiary, NWE Public Service. We have provided service in South Dakota and Nebraska since 1923 and in Montana since 2002.

Media Contacts:

Jo Dee Black

866-622-8081

jodee.black@northwestern.com