Happy Friday the 13th! Temperatures continue to warm today with daytime highs reaching the mid 20s for northeastern Montana, mid 30s to low 40s for the Hi-Line, and mid to upper 40s for central Montana. A large system moving into the West will result in high clouds filtering the sunshine throughout the day. Winds are expected to pick up, particularly along the Rocky Mountain Front and between Great Falls and Lewistown, where gusts could exceed 30mph.
A weakening system will move into Montana on Saturday, bringing mountain snow and eventually some light rain, snow, or freezing rain to central Montana. It will also maintain breezy conditions throughout north central Montana. Precipitation arrives after sunset on Saturday. Some cold air trapped in the river valleys may lead to freezing rain, particularly for the Hi-Line, though snow amounts will remain light, with only a few inches anticipated in the mountains.
Another weak system will bring light snowfall to the mountains Monday night into Tuesday. Following this, high pressure will strengthen over the West, leading to warmer temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and the potential for valley inversions. Overall, we can look forward to mostly dry conditions next week.
