Montana is known for its rural terrain and is home to natural wonders like the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, but it's also a state with vicious weather that's not for the weak. 

The coldest recorded days in history have occurred in the rural state, with one morning in 1954 dropping to negative 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

The jaw-dropping temperature was observed at a mining camp near the capital city of Helena. 

Richard Dightman, a state climatologist noticed the drastic temperatures and sent the records to the Weather Bureau's Instrument Division in Washington DC, according to the University of Montana. 

The record was set near Rogers Pass, which has a high elevation making the weather even colder. 

Although that fateful January day in 1954 is an extreme example, Montana's average temperature in January is 17 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The bitter temperatures and high elevation create a unique climate that can result in weird phenomena. People have described the strange sights as looking devilish. 

Take a look below at some of the the Treasure State's most bizarre weather occurrences. 

Light Pillars  

Light pillars are an atmospheric optical illusion that occurs when unshielded lights reflect off of ice crystals. 

When these plate-shaped crystals align, they reflect light back towards the ground creating the illusion of a column. 

The closer the crystals are to a light source, the higher the column appears to look. When crystals are at a higher altitude, it also increases the height of the illusion. 

Since Montana's temperatures can be so low, many have observed the optical phenomenon. 

A fantastic light show was visible in January 2016 right before Comet Catalina appeared over Glacier National Park. 

Observers caught the aurora lights late at night when temperatures dropped to negative four degrees Fahrenheit. 

Snow Rollers 

Snow rollers are naturally occurring snowballs. When there's a fresh layer of snow on the ground and heavy winds, the snow can roll on its own, creating a donut-shaped object. 

The occurrence is rare, but the perfect combination of snow, moisture, ice, and wind can result in Mother Nature's own unique snowballs. 

Temperatures need to be around freezing so that the snow sticks as it rolls, but it can't be too cold so that the snow moves with the wind instead of freezing to the ground. 

Yellowstone National Park shared photos of snow rollers on a mountainside in February 2022. 

The unique winter phenomenon is frequently seen at the bottom of hills as gravity can have a hand in rolling the snow. 

Thundersnow 

Less creatively named, thundersnow is a rare phenomenon that happens when a thunderstorm occurs at the same time as a snowstorm. 

During this occurrence, lightning strikes the clouds as snow falls from them. The ice crystals often turn the lightning flashes blue which can create a dramatic scene. 

Typically, thunderstorms occur in the summertime due to the hotter temperatures. Warm moist air rises into cold air and creates electric charges. 

Without warm air, thunderstorms are rare but not impossible. The type of storm and where it takes place can alter how thundersnows happen.

In the Northeast, thundersnow can occur during a nor'easter as the spinning nature creates pockets of air forced upwards. Thundersnows are also more likely near lakes. 

A bout of thundersnow in New Jersey in March 2018 saw people take to X, formerly known as Twitter, and claim that the strange weather looked like it had come from the devil.

One twitter user wrote: 'The devil has been playing tic tac toe today. I’m over it and back to the grind. Can’t hold the strong down for to long. We bounce right back up.' #blessup #blessup #thundersnow #WednesdayMotivation #WednesdayChill #Vibe

And another tweeted: 'If thunder during a rain storm is the devil beating his wife, then thundersnow is his wife draining their joint accounts of all the money and removing her name from the credit cards.'

Sundog 

A sundog appears when light is refracted off of ice crystals by the sun and looks like a second ball of light in the sky. 

Refraction is a change in direction from a light wave. When sunlight is refracted on an ice crystal, it's broken down which reveals a rainbow effect.  

They often appear 22 degrees to the left or right of the sun depending on where the ice crystals are. 

Halos 

Similar to a sundog, a halo is a ring of light that appears around the sun or moon. The light is often a bright white, which mirrors the look of a halo. 

The halo appears after the sun or moonlight refracts off ice crystals onto a thin veil of clouds. 

Chinook Winds 

Chinook winds are unique to western North America and can be destructive. The term comes from a Native American tribe that occupied an area now known as the boundary between Oregon and Washington. 

Chinook winds are unique because they develop when the sky is clear, not during a storm. 

The winds pick up speed blowing downhill from high elevations like the Rocky Mountains down to lower elevations like the Great Plains. 

The speeds can quickly increase from 40-50 mph to 80-100 mph by the time they hit the Plains. 

The strength can knock down power lines and even push over vehicles. If the conditions are dry, dust storms can begin. 

If Chinook winds pick up during a snowstorm, blizzard conditions may develop where the snow melts or evaporates in the air. 

According to meteorologist Brett Anderson, Chinook winds are most common in Montana but also occur in Colorado and Wyoming.