The weather was quiet today, but the Earth was not. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake occurred at 12:41pm MST today near Great Falls. The official epicenter of the earthquake was located 5 miles northeast of Black Eagle and it had a depth of 14 miles. This earthquake was felt as far south as the Helena area, as far west as the Rockies, as far north as the Canadian border, and as far east as the Havre/Lewistown areas.
There was no major damage or injuries, which is fantastic news. Aftershocks are possible, but they are not likely, and if they do occur, they will very likely be weaker than the earthquake that already occurred. So at this point, there is nothing to be worried about!
Tonight, we are going to have partly to mostly cloudy skies and mainly dry conditions. Lows tonight will be in the 20s and low 30s in most locations (teens in northeastern Montana). Along the Rocky Mountain Front, it will be gusty tonight as gusts up to 50 mph are possible. East of the Rocky Mountain Front, it will be a little breezy in some areas tonight with 5-20 mph sustained winds.
Here is the detailed forecast:
There are going to be a few scattered rain, freezing rain, and snow showers around tomorrow and tomorrow night, generally in the mountains, in central Montana and in locations east of I-15 in north-central Montana as a disturbance passes through our area. It is also going to be mostly cloudy to overcast tomorrow. In the mountains, a coating to a couple inches of snow accumulation is possible. In the lower elevations, little to no snow accumulation is expected. In eastern portions of north-central Montana, light ice accumulations are possible Friday evening through Saturday morning, so be prepared for slippery roads.
It is going to be mild again tomorrow as highs are going to be in the 40s and low 50s in most locations (20s and 30s in northeastern Montana). The wind will increase as we go through tomorrow with strong winds (gusts up to 60 mph) developing along the Rocky Mountain Front and breezy conditions (gusts up to 40 mph) developing in some areas east of the Rocky Mountain Front. Widespread gusty to strong winds are then expected tomorrow night into Saturday morning as gusts up to 75 mph are possible along the Rocky Mountain Front, and gusts up to 50 mph are possible east of the Rocky Mountain Front. A HIGH WIND WATCH is in effect for the Rocky Mountain Front and part of Judith Basin County from 8pm/11pm Friday until 11am Saturday.
Saturday will be partly to mostly sunny and mostly dry, just a few lingering snow/rain showers in the mountains and in northeastern Montana during the morning. The wind will weaken some as the day goes on, but it will be breezy in a lot of areas on Saturday with gusts up to 40 mph possible. Highs on Saturday are going to be in the 40s and 50s in most locations, so it will be mild.
Nice weather is expected on Sunday as it is going to be mostly cloudy, dry, and mild with highs in the 40s and 50s. The wind also won’t be too strong, just a little breezy (5-20 mph).
A weak disturbance will pass by our area on Monday, so a few isolated rain and snow showers are possible, but most locations will remain dry. It is also going to be partly cloudy and a little cooler on Monday as highs are going to be in the 40s and low 50s. Gusty winds are also expected on Monday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 30 mph, and wind gusts over 40 mph are possible.
High pressure will be in control of our weather for the rest of next week, which means we are going to have really nice weather for this time of year. It is going to be partly cloudy and dry on Tuesday and Wednesday and mostly sunny and dry on Thursday. The temperatures Tuesday through Thursday are also going to be well above average for this time of year as highs are going to be in the 40s, 50s, and low 60s in most locations. It is also going to continue to be breezy in some areas on these three days as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph.
