Montanans volunteer to help other Montanans in need through different search and rescue teams across the state.
"People just donate their time," explained Brad Belke, commander of the 15-90 Search and Rescue team in Butte. "We're usually running between 35 and 40 members, full-time."
Belke says they are currently preparing for some of their busiest seasons.
"Usually, my busiest season is hunting season -- gun season," said Belke. "Then the second busiest season is snowmobile season."
However, Belke says the current weather changes we've seen this year are shifting priority to different seasons.
"The weather's been so dry the last few years," said Belke. "We're not getting that many sled searches either. We do get a lot of vehicles that get trapped in the backcountry, we still do that, but the hunting seasons being so warm lately, that (sled searches have) not been a big deal.”
Our NBC Montana Severe Weather Alert Team reports we can expect more warm weather with little snow over the next week even though we are in the month of December.
The lack of snow makes it easier for search and rescue teams to navigate the mountains compared to previous years.
Belke compared the current weather to a previous year when a blizzard hit Butte in December causing a woman to be lost in the hills.
"I sent people where I thought we would pick her up right away -- they couldn't get there," said Belke. "There were so many trees down. I have some guys who are just mountain men. They worked for hours and couldn't get there. So many trees were down. There was snow all over them. (The men) described it as the worst walk they'd ever taken their life.”
With warmer winters becoming more of a reality, the focus is shifting to spring and summer seasons as people look for more outdoor activities they can use to social distance.
"COVID in 2020 was a terrible year -- it was really busy," he said. "Nobody could do anything in town, so people spread out into the community. (We saw) a lot more traffic in the backcountry than we've ever seen before. (Now in Butte) we're dealing with mostly weather. This has been so nice -- I mean, this is the nicest fall I've ever seen here."