Montana cold puts damper on parade

HELENA – With chilly temperatures sweeping across the state, school marching bands were pulled from the University of Montana’s homecoming parade due to frigid weather Saturday.

John Combs, fine arts director for Missoula County Public Schools, said it was difficult to yank hundreds of students from the parade.

But the alternative – kids possibly slipping on ice or getting sick – proved too great to ignore.

Temperatures in parts of Western Montana were near zero overnight.

Farther east, temperatures in the Great Falls area were forecast to dip as low as 5 degrees, with meteorologists predicting the worst would be over late today.