WEATHER DISCUSSION: Inversions continue to cause fog and colder temperatures in the Helena valley on Sunday. Patchy dense fog develops once again in river valleys throughout central and eastern Montana. Otherwise, mostly sunny and breezy conditions expected on Sunday. Wind gusts up to 50 MPH are possible for the Hi-Line and the Rocky Mountain Front Sunday evening and overnight.
Fog should begin to break for the Helena valley on Monday. A weak disturbance brings areas of mixed precipitation to central Montana Monday night into Tuesday morning. Medium-range weather models are indicating the potential for more freezing rain in similar areas impacted by Friday morning's dangerous ice. There will be more cloud cover this week compared to last as drier conditions are expected towards the end of the week.
Warmer than normal temperatures continue throughout the majority of the upcoming week. As usual, the warmer temperatures come at the cost of a gusty breeze across the plains. Also, temperatures will continue to remain colder for the Hi-Line from Havre to Glasgow.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Patchy dense fog in the Helena valley and river valleys. Otherwise, mostly cloudy. Temperatures falling into the 0s from Havre to Glasgow, low to mid 10s from Cut Bank to Gildford, lower 20s for the Helena valley, and mid to upper 20s for central Montana.
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny for central Montana, partly cloudy for eastern Montana. Breezy with a sustained WSW breeze at 15-25 MPH gusting to 40 MPH for central Montana, 55 MPH for the Hi-Line and the Rocky Mountain Front. Continued patchy dense fog in valleys. Highs in the upper 10s and lower 20s for eastern portions of the Hi-Line, upper 20s and low to mid 30s for western portions of the Hi-Line and the Helena valley, and low to mid 40s for central Montana. Increased cloud cover overnight as temperatures fall into the 0s for northeastern Montana, low to mid 20s for the Helena valley and western portions of the Hi-Line, and upper 20s and lower 30s for the rest of central Montana.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny and breezy. A gusty SW breeze sustained at 15-25 MPH gusting to 40 MPH at times. Highs in the low to mid 30s for the Hi-Line and the Helena valley, and low to mid 40s for central Montana. Increased cloud cover overnight as temperatures fall into the low to mid 10s for eastern portions of the Hi-Line and low to mid 20s for the rest of central Montana. Scattered wintry mix developing late.
TUESDAY: Areas of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow in the morning. Slick travel possible. Otherwise, becoming partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 20s and lower 30s for the Hi-Line, upper 30s and lower 40s for the Helena valley and the Rocky Mountain Front, and mid 40s for central Montana. A few snow showers overnight as temperatures fall into the low to mid 10s for the Hi-Line and low to mid 20s for central Montana.
WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Chance for rain and snow showers. High temperatures in the low to mid 20s for the Hi-Line, low to mid 30s for the Rocky Mountain Front, and upper 30s for central Montana. Partly cloudy overnight as temperatures fall into the low to mid 20s for central Montana and low to mid 10s for the Hi-Line.
THURSDAY: Partly cloudy in central Montana, mostly sunny in eastern Montana. High temperatures in the mid to upper 20s for the Hi-Line, low to mid 30s for the Rocky Mountain Front, and low to mid 40s for central Montana. Remaining partly cloudy as temperatures fall into the low to mid 10s for the Hi-Line, mid 20s for the Rocky Mountain Front and Helena Valley, and lower 30s for central Montana.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy and breezy. Highs in the mid to upper 30s for the Hi-Line and the Helena Valley, upper 40s and lower 40s for central Montana. Temperatures falling into the upper 10s and lower 20s for the Hi-Line, mid 20s for the Rocky Mountain Front and the Helena Valley, and lower 30s for central Montana.
SATURDAY: Increasing clouds from west to east. Highs in the low to mid 30s for the Hi-Line, low to mid 30s for central Montana.
