The weekend's warming trend continues Monday into Tuesday, with highs reaching the 70s to near 80 on Monday and upper 70s to mid 80s for most towns and cities by Tuesday, with record highs possible. Winds will be fairly light across central Montana, generally under 10 mph, though areas near the Rocky Mountain Front will see stronger breezes between 10 and 20 mph.
Monday Morning Forecast:
Overall, the week starts out very pleasant before a dramatic shift arrives midweek. Wednesday starts on a nice note, but clouds build and the wind picks up before scattered showers and thunderstorms develop during the evening as a cold front moves in from the west. Gusts over 40 mph will be possible. Temperatures tumble quickly Wednesday night, falling into the 20s and 30s as rain changes to snow at all elevations.
By Thursday, highs will be 20 to 40 degrees colder than Wednesday, with most areas only reaching the 30s and low 40s. This storm system should bring decent moisture to the state, especially in the mountains where up to an inch of liquid precipitation is possible. That would translate to more than a foot of snow in some of the higher terrain. Travel over mountain passes could become difficult Thursday morning with slippery roads and low visibility during periods of heavier snow.
The system will slowly move east, but rain and snow showers along with breezy conditions will continue into Friday. Temperatures remain quite chilly for late April, with highs only in the 30s and 40s. Cooler weather is expected to stick around into the weekend as well, with highs generally in the 40s and 50s along with passing showers, especially in the mountains and across eastern Montana.
