A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect for a lot of the mountains in western and central Montana from 5pm Thursday/5am Friday until 5pm Saturday.
Along the Rocky Mountain Front, it is going to be windy tonight and tomorrow as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 20 and 40 mph and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible. East of the Rocky Mountain Front, we are going to have increasing wind tonight and it will be breezy tomorrow as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph, and wind gusts up to 40 mph are possible.
Here is the detailed forecast:
Tonight, we are going to have partly cloudy skies with a few areas of fog around, especially along the eastern half of the Hi-Line. Tomorrow, we are going to have mostly cloudy skies and there are going to be scattered snow showers and a few rain showers around as a disturbance works its way through our area. The mountains will receive 1-6” of snow through tomorrow evening. In the lower elevations, up to an inch of snow is possible, but most of us will receive little to no snow accumulation.
It will be cold tonight along the Hi-Line east of I-15 as lows are going to be in the single digits and teens. Elsewhere, it is going to be chilly tonight as lows are going to be in the mid to upper teens and low to mid 20s. We are then going to have seasonable temperatures tomorrow as highs are going to be in the 30s and low 40s.
On Friday, there are going to be a few snow showers around during the morning. More widespread snow will then work its way into central and north-central Montana during the late afternoon and evening. There are then going to be areas of light to moderate snow around Friday night as a storm system passes through our area. Some rain may also mix in with this snow at times. Scattered snow showers will continue on Saturday as this storm departs our area.
Significant snow accumulation is expected in the mountains Friday into Saturday, with some of the peaks possibly receiving up to 3 feet of snow. Most mountain ranges will receive 5-18” of snow. In the lower elevations, this will not be a significant snow event, but a few inches of accumulation is possible in some areas. Expect difficult travel at and above mountain pass level Friday into Saturday. Roads will also be slick/snow-covered at times in the lower elevations from Friday evening through Saturday, so please be careful when driving.
It will feel nice outside on Friday as highs are going to be in the 30s and upper 20s. It will then be a lot colder on Saturday as highs are going to be in the teens and 20s in north-central Montana. The Helena area will not see this cool-down though as highs will remain in the 30s. It is also going to be a bit breezy on Friday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
Warmer temperatures will return for most of us on Sunday as highs are going to be in the 30s and low 40s. In northeastern Montana, it will be cold again on Sunday as highs are going to be I the teens. There is also going to be a good breeze around on Sunday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph, and wind gusts over 40 mph are possible. We are also going to have mostly cloudy skies on Sunday and there are going to be a few rain and snow showers around, generally in the mountains.
Monday will be a gusty day with 10-30 mph sustained winds and gusts over 40 mph. Outside of the wind, we are going to have nice weather on Monday with partly to mostly cloudy skies, mostly dry conditions, and mild temperatures as highs are going to be in the 30s and low to mid 40s.
There are then going to be scattered rain and snow showers around on Tuesday and Wednesday as another storm impacts the state. Tuesday will be a windy and warm day as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 15 and 35 mph, and highs are going to be in the 40s and mid to upper 30s. Cooler temperatures and less wind are expected on Wednesday as highs are going to be in the 20s and 30s and sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
