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 with 20-35 mph sustained winds and gusts over 50 mph at times. 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 over 40 mph are possible.
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 1-5” 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 a bit chilly tonight as lows are going to be in the 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. Initially, precipitation may be in the form of rain in the lower elevations. There are then going to be areas of light to moderate snow around Friday night and Saturday morning as this storm system passes through our area. A little rain may also mix in with this snow at times around the Helena area. Scattered snow showers will continue Saturday afternoon/evening, but gradually taper off.
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 6-18” of snow. In the lower elevations, this will not be a significant snow event, but a few inches of accumulation is possible. Expect difficult travel at and above mountain pass level Friday into Saturday. Roads will also be slick/snow-covered Friday evening through Saturday in the lower elevations, so be careful when driving.
It will feel nice outside on Friday as highs are going to be in the 30s and low 40s. 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 on Sunday as highs are going to be in the 30s and low 40s. There is 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 as well, generally in the mountains.
