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Hey Missoula, hope your week’s off to a good start!

In today’s wallet-friendly edition: Planet Fitness HQ move, St. Patrick’s Day parade, and avalanche danger warnings + lots of fun things to do for free.

Today’s sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is helping folks around Missoula protect their savings as gold and silver continue to gain momentum. Their free guide explains what’s driving the surge… and what to know before adding precious metals to your portfolio. Grab your free copy here.

📰 In the news

Campus numbers keep climbing: In February, UM reported a 3% spring enrollment increase to 11,123 students, the fifth straight year of growth, with graduate and Missoula College gains and record dual enrollment — see where enrollment grew.

Business vote of confidence: Planet Fitness operator Leon Franchise Group is relocating its national headquarters to Butte, a boost for Butte’s economy and western Montana. Missoula residents could see new regional opportunities — learn what this move means.

Deadly slides spur caution: Forecasters with the West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation say this winter’s snowpack remains dangerous, with avalanches possible long after storms. Check the local avalanche forecast and watch for instability signs — read expert warnings and advice.

Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.

Highlights this week:

• Paint a pika and bumblebee
• Join a four-week Calm Abiding course
• Discover treasures at Missoula gem show

🫶 We got your back

Rock your lunch break: Tagliare Delicatessen stacks Italian-leaning sandwiches with bold flavors, toasty panini vibes, and playful rock-band names (hello, Megadeath). These craveable bites make weekday errands worth it and turn the 2 p.m. slump into a win, lifting moods without complicating your day.

Playtime, elevated: Imagination Station Toys hits the sweet spot between brainy and just plain fun, with puzzles, STEM kits, plushes, and the classics you loved as a kid. Their crew helps you pick gifts kids actually play with, keeping Missoula’s toy time smart, joyful, and delightfully hands-on.

Pickleball, trails, repeat: Fort Missoula Regional Park is your low-effort reset. Think plenty of pickleball courts, easy loops for a quick walk, a fenced dog park, and playgrounds for the chaos crew. When the week gets loud, sneak an hour here and call it a win.

Why your last diet didn’t work: Sustained weight loss is nearly impossible with diet alone. Your body literally fights back by making you hungrier the moment you start restricting calories. That’s why more doctors are recommending GLP-1s. The best part? Getting them has never been easier. We compared three programs to help you find the right fit. See which ones stood out →

Your data is for sale right now: There are over 400 websites selling your info to marketers, political campaigns, and scammers. They’ve got your phone number, home address, relatives’ names… you name it. That’s how robocallers seem to know everything about you before you pick up. You can remove your info one site at a time, or pay a service to do it for you. Here’s what we recommend →

📆 Free events worth checking out

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

🔑 Resource Access Day @ Missoula Public Library | Wednesday (3/11) at 11:00 AM – Level Four at the library turns into a one-stop, grown-up life fixer, with neighbors offering free housing support, legal help, vaccines, haircuts, and lunch. It’s all drop-in, no hoops, just RAD people helping RAD people. Peek @radmissoula if you like details.

🧘 YMCA Yoga @ Missoula Public Library | Thursday (3/12) at 12:00 PM – Whether your hamstrings think yoga is a rumor or you just need a reset, stretch between the stacks as MPL teams with the Y for a free, fundamentals-first class. Expect alignment tips, breath work, options at your pace, a simple waiver, and mats to borrow.

🔨 Open Woodshop Hours @ Home ReSource | Friday (3/13) at 12:30 PM – Home ReSource is opening the woodshop to the community, so your big idea and tiny garage can finally call a truce. Take the free tool training, then use the table saw, planer, jointer, routers, and more. Sliding-scale sessions run $5 to $25 per hour.

🦴 Brown Bag & Bones @ Montana Natural History Center | Friday (3/13) at 1:00 PM – Your Friday lunch break is getting an upgrade at MNHC’s Fossil Prep Lab, where paleontologist Jason C. Poole is calmly chiseling 150-million-year-old bones, including a toothy Allosaurus. Bring a sandwich, some curiosity, and enjoy real science, zero PowerPoints, and free-with-admission bragging rights.

🍀 St. Patrick’s Day Parade @ Downtown Missoula | Saturday (3/14) at 12:00 PM – Whether you’ve marched since the early days or just come for the bagpipes, Missoula’s 44th St. Patrick’s Day Parade rolls down Higgins from Spruce to Grizzly Grocery. Grab your green, your coffee, and a curb. Expect kilts, kids, and exactly the right amount of chaos.

🖌 Teen Open Studio @ Missoula Art Museum | Saturday (3/14) at 1:00 PM – Got a teen who’s turned your house into a glitter mine? MAM’s Teen Open Studio gives them unlimited supplies, world-class inspiration down the hall, and supervision, all free, so they can create solo or collaborate while you reclaim the table and a little quiet.

🤝 March Meetup @ Highlander Brewery | Tuesday (3/17) at 6:00 PM – If you like your St. Paddy’s with tax credits instead of green beer, come hear Butte-born builder Nick Kujawa on reviving Uptown Butte’s historic Sears Building, and how to find deals, stack capital, and de-risk messy projects. Free, no selling, just smart Missoula market connections.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

📻 Missoula report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 38°F – Low: 20°F – Precip: 53%

A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. West southwest wind 2 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. Later: A slight chance of snow after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 20. Southwest wind 2 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

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Tomorrow – High: 45°F – Low: 36°F – Precip: 75%

Snow before 3pm, then rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Southwest wind 3 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible. Later: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 36. Southwest wind around 12 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance? 🚗

Premiums have been climbing across Montana but most folks won’t notice until they’re hit with a higher bill when it’s time to renew.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, it was out of sight and out of mind. Turns out I was blindly paying way more than everyone else I knew.

If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too – here’s the comparison tool I used.

This house is wild

This 3,446 sq ft custom 2017 home spans 3 landscaped acres with mountain views. Inside, 4 beds, 3 baths, 9-foot ceilings, Pella windows, built-in shades, and a kitchen with gas and electric cooktops pair with geo-thermal comfort. Outside brings a sand volleyball court, fire pit, low-maintenance water feature, and oversized 6-car garage. Quiet cul-de-sac minutes to I-90 and the airport.

Take a peek inside →