A strong northerly flow is bringing unseasonably cool weather to Montana this Cinco de Mayo, with temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees below average. Highs will only reach the 40s and 50s. A passing rain or snow shower is possible, with skies gradually clearing from north to south through the afternoon and evening.
Tuesday Morning Forecast:
Temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s (and even a few teens) for most towns and cities Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as skies clear and winds lighten. If you have sensitive plants (vegetables & herbs, annuals & perennials, shrubs, etc.), it’s best to cover them or move them indoors. In the event of a hard freeze, even covering may not be enough for some plants.
The historical average for our last hard freeze (≤28°) in Great Falls is April 28th, but it’s been as late as May 31st (1917). While frosts can occur nearly year-round in Montana, hard freezes tend to have the greatest impact on plants and vegetation.
Temperatures rebound quickly into the 60s and lower 70s on Wednesday under a mostly sunny sky. A disturbance brings the chance for showers and a few thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday. It dries out for Friday with partly to mostly cloudy skies and just a few lingering showers along the Hi-Line, with highs once again in the 60s and 70s.
Another round of scattered showers and thunderstorms kicks off Mother’s Day weekend on Saturday, but Mother’s Day itself looks great, just a few isolated showers or storms with highs in the 60s and 70s.
