The final full day of summer was toasty in central Montana as temperatures soared to 90° in Havre, Fort Benton and Harlem. The high temperature hit 86° in Great Falls, a solid 17° above the average high temperature for September 21st.
A cold front brought gusts of wind and an abrupt cooldown Sunday evening. The peak wind gust was 59 mph at Cut Bank airport, and Great Falls gusted to 46 mph. The front continues to push east into eastern Montana, where winds will be strongest today, between 10 and 25 mph, gusting up to 40 mph at times. A Lake Wind Advisory is in effect for Fort Peck Lake until 6 p.m. this evening. In central Montana, winds should gradually diminish, with speeds generally between 5 and 15 mph, and a few gusts up to 30 mph are possible, especially in Fergus County.
Check out the forecast!
Decreasing clouds and dry to mark the start of fall today in central Montana, with more clouds and showers moving into eastern Montana. The Autumnal Equinox is at 12:19 p.m., when the sun's direct rays will be over the Equator. Over the next few weeks, the sun's direct rays will sink south toward the Tropic of Capricorn, giving us shorter days. Today will get you in the fall spirit with highs in the 60s and a cool breeze out of the northwest, but it'll return to the 80s for the rest of the week as summer lingers into fall.
Skies clear out for everyone overnight. The winds will diminish allowing temperatures to tumble into the 30s and 40s. Some patchy frost is not out of the question in a few areas.
After Monday, a high pressure ridge moves over Montana, leading to another round of unseasonably warm temperatures, sunshine, and lighter winds. Temperatures will be especially warm on Thursday and Friday, reaching into the 80s and low 90s. Although there was initially a potential cooler system expected to arrive for the weekend, it now looks like the dry and mild pattern will hold into next weekend. Any outdoor plans should be in great shape over the next week or so, just remember to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen!
