We'll have another warmer and mostly dry for our Thursday. During the afternoon, scattered storms will develop near I-90 and move north into central Montana during the evening. A storm or two could go severe with the main concern being damaging winds and heavy downpours. Highs today will hit the 80s for most locations.
Weather models are showing an area of heavy showers and embedded thunderstorms setting up over the Rocky Mountain Front out to I-15 Friday morning. Then, scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop and move from southwest to northeast across central and eastern Montana during the afternoon and evening. This looks to be a more organize round of severe weather, with the potential for damaging winds (58+ mph), large hail (1"+ diameter), heavy downpours and flash flooding. It will cool off into the 60s and 70s on Friday.
A big trough of low pressure moves directly over Montana this weekend. This will lead to a significant cooldown and beneficial rains throughout the weekend. While the entire weekend is not going to be wet, there will be rounds of rain and embedded thunderstorms. If you have outdoor plans, make sure you have rain gear handy. The driest period looks to be Saturday afternoon and evening. Models indicate a large part of north-central Montana may receive over 1" of rain from Friday through Sunday. A few spots could exceed 2" of rain. High temperatures will be in the 60s on Saturday and 50s on Sunday.
A strong northerly wind will develop on Saturday, which will make it feel very cool. Snow levels will drop Saturday afternoon into the overnight as low as 5500 feet. A Winter Storm Watch for Glacier National Park from noon Saturday through noon Sunday. A foot or more of snow is possible in the higher terrain, with most locations receiving between 6 and 12 inches of snow. Even down to the valley floors in Glacier, up to 4 inches of snow could pile up. If you plan to recreate this weekend in Glacier National Park or the Bob Marshall Wilderness, be prepared for cold, wet and raw conditions. Wind chill values could drop into the 20s and 30s by Sunday morning!
Temperatures rebound quickly next week with highs back into the 60s on Monday and 70s on Tuesday. There will still be a few showers and thunderstorms around, especially during the afternoon hours.
