Another warm and beautiful fall afternoon in central and eastern Montana. Temperatures topped out at 70° in Great Falls, 73° in Havre, and 71° in Lewistown. A weekend storm is moving in from the northwest, bringing stronger winds, mountain snow, and a noticeable drop in temperatures later on in the weekend.
Check out the forecast:
Two rounds of mountain snow impact Montana throughout the weekend. The first will move through Saturday night into Sunday morning, followed by a second round Sunday night into Monday morning. The second wave of snow will be more impactful as colder air moves in Sunday night dropping snow levels down to the valley floors in some parts of western Montana. Snow levels fall as low as 4,500 feet Saturday night and 3,000-3,500 feet Sunday night.
A downslope wind will prevent much precipitation from falling across central Montana, however there will be a few isolated to scattered showers Saturday night and Sunday night, potentially mixed with a little snow in some lower elevation areas Sunday night into Monday morning. Most areas will receive less than a tenth of an inch of precipitation across central and eastern Montana.
High temperatures will be in the upper 50s and 60s on Saturday, and in the upper 40s and 50s on Sunday. Winds won't be too strong across central and eastern Montana on Saturday, with speeds between 5 and 15 mph, gusting to 20-30 mph at times. Winds will stay breezy along the Rocky Mountain Front, with gusts possibly reaching 40-50 mph. Across central and eastern Montana, wind speeds on Sunday will pick up to 10 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 30-40 mph, while gusts of 40-50+ mph are still possible along the Rocky Mountain Front.
The system will clear out early next week, but temperatures are much cooler on Monday, with highs in the upper 40s and lower 50s. Mostly sunny skies into Monday afternoon and evening.
High pressure will rebuild through midweek, causing temperatures to climb again. Highs are likely to be in the 50s on Tuesday and in the upper 50s to 60s on Wednesday.
It should stay dry and mild for Halloween next Friday, with highs in the 50s and lower 60s. Gusty winds will be a concern for Halloween and trick-or-treaters Halloween night. Temperatures should fall back into the 40s by trick-or-treat time, so dressing warmly with costumes is recommended.
