There are going to be scattered rain and snow showers around the Helena area tonight and there are going to be a few scattered rain and snow showers around in north-central Montana tonight, generally along the Rocky Mountain Front and in Fergus County and Judith Basin County, as a disturbance continues to impact the state. Little to no snow accumulation is expected in the lower elevations, while up to 5” of snow is possible at and above mountain pass level. Some of the mountain passes, including Kings Hill Pass, MacDonald Pass, Marias Pass, and Rogers Pass, may be slick tonight and tomorrow morning, so use caution when driving.
It is also going to be partly cloudy and chilly tonight as lows are going to be in the 20s and upper teens along the Hi-Line and the upper 20s and low to mid 30s in locations south of the Hi-Line. The wind will increase along the Rocky Mountain Front tonight, with windy conditions (gusts over 60 mph) possible by sunrise. East of the Rocky Mountain Front, it will be breezy in some areas tonight as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
Here is the detailed forecast:
Widespread gusty to strong winds will develop tomorrow. The strongest wind will be along the Rocky Mountain Front where gusts up to 85 mph are possible. In western portions of north-central Montana and in central Montana, including around Cut Bank, Great Falls, Helena, and Stanford, gusts up to 70 mph are possible during the day tomorrow. A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect for these locations from 2am until 11pm tomorrow. Elsewhere, gusts over 40 mph will be possible during the day tomorrow.
Highs tomorrow will be in the 40s and low 50s. It is also going to be partly to mostly sunny tomorrow with a few isolated snow and rain showers around, generally in the mountains.
Thursday will be an extremely windy day for everyone. Along the Rocky Mountain Front, gusts of 90-100+ mph are possible. East of the Rocky Mountain Front, widespread gusts over 50 mph are expected, with gusts up to 70 mph possible. This wind will be coming out of the west or southwest in most locations. This wind will make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles and vehicles pulling trailers, especially on north-south oriented roads, so consider delaying your travel if you can. Wind damage, including downed power lines and trees, is also possible. A HIGH WIND WATCH is in effect for most of north-central Montana from 11pm Wednesday until 8am/9am Friday.
Thursday will also be partly to mostly cloudy, dry, and mild as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 40s and low to mid 50s in most locations.
A cold front will bring snow and colder temperatures back to our area Friday into Saturday. On Friday, it is going to be partly to mostly cloudy in north-central Montana with snow developing from north to south as the day goes on. Around Helena, it will be partly to mostly sunny and dry on Friday. Widespread snow is then likely Friday night, with the snow gradually tapering off as we go through Saturday morning and afternoon. Gusty to strong winds continue on Friday as gusts over 50 mph are possible, but weaker wind is expected on Saturday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 5 and 20 mph. The temperatures are also going to cool down significantly between Friday and Saturday as highs on Friday are going to be in the 30s along the Hi-Line and the 40s elsewhere, and highs on Saturday are going to be in the teens and low to mid 20s (30s around Helena).
Nice weather returns for the beginning of next week (Sunday through Tuesday) as high pressure is going to be in control of our weather. These three days will be mostly sunny and mainly dry. The temperatures will also quickly warm back up over these three days as highs are going to be in the 30s and 40s on Sunday; the 40s and low 50s on Monday; and the 50s and mid to upper 40s on Tuesday. Little to no wind on Sunday, but breezy conditions (gusts up to 40 mph) will return to some areas for Monday and Tuesday.
