UFO Sightings in Montana and Idaho .. a short study

Montana and Idaho are studied together for a good map and better statistics. They share mountainous topography and a long border.

Sightings eras are in colors: 91 events from 1910 through 1959 show as Blue spots. 39 from 1960 through 1974 are Violet, and 50 from 1975 to the present are Green.

Montana registers 99 sightings here, Idaho 81. Idaho sightings peak in 1947, while Montana saw greatest activity in the 1960s and 1970s.

The geographical center of this set of sightings is 113:01W - 45:48N, Along the Continental Divide Southwest of Anaconda, MT in Deer Lodge County.

In Anaconda itself, on 5 July 1947, police received two separate reports of several silvery objects fluttering overhead as the went east fast.

See a wider map of the Northwest States.

Daily Sightings Histogram: Montana-Idaho

<= Daily Histogram: Montana & Idaho

Sightings for all years and both states are combined to show seasonal variation.

The busiest single day was the 4rth of July 1947 with 6 events. Five of those were scattered in Idaho, plus one more in Craig, MT.

The busiest month is July (51 listings), versus an average of only 12 each for the all other months.

The busiest weekdays are Monday (31), Friday (29) and Saturday (30). MT - ID sightings are most often in the mountains or on the road. Relatively few occur in heavily forested areas.

See similar studies for California Ohio Texas Pennsylvania Florida New York Washington Mass.+CT+RI New Mexico Michigan Missouri Oregon Carolinas Arizona Illinois & Indiana Wisconsin & Minnesota Georgia & Alabama Nevada & Utah Oklahoma & Kansas Kentucky & Tennessee Colorado & Wyoming Nebraska & Iowa The Dakotas

<= 50-Year Graph of Montana & Idaho

Here, the two states diverge. The largest peak in 1947 was mostly in Idaho, following the Snake River on a path extending from Hanford Washington southeast toward the Salt Lake City area. Sightings in the 1960s and 1970s were mostly in Montana, often near missile sites.

The busiest years in MT-ID were:
1947 (49) 1952 (15) 1967 (17) 1975 (27)
Years not shown have 9 or fewer listings.

The earliest MT-ID UFO sighting listed was on 5 February 1910 near Greer, ID when a prospector saw a huge brilliant gold sphere maneuver down a canyon headed Southeast.

The strangest stories involve missiles. In Spring of 1966, 'UFOs' were seen at Malmstrom AFB. Alarms went off. 10 missiles were then found inoperative. Again at Malmstrom on 11 Nov.1975, missiles were left in order but were retargetted. I have no way to verify these tales.

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