GREAT FALLS — We are in the wake of a cold front, so temperatures will be much cooler, with highs in lower elevations dropping in the mid-60s to lower 70s on Monday, before warming into the mid to upper 70s. Meanwhile, higher mountain peaks could drop into the 30s Monday morning, bringing a slight chance for light flurries if any measurable precipitation falls.
Northwest flow aloft takes hold by the middle of the week as an upper-level ridge builds across the Western U.S. and slowly tracks eastward into our area. This pattern will bring a gradual warm-up, pushing temperatures back above normal for the second half of the week. With minimal moisture to work with, rain chances remain very low, and any precipitation that develops will be light.
Wildfire smoke will continue to linger across the region, though northerly winds Monday and Tuesday should help clear out a good portion of the haze from North-Central Montana down into Southwest Montana.
