Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Beautiful weather is expected for the rest of the work week as an upper-level ridge will be in complete control of our weather. This weekend, a pattern change to colder and wetter weather is expected as an upper-level trough moves into the Pacific Northwest.
It will be warm again today, but slightly cooler than it was yesterday, with highs in the mid to upper 70s and low 80s. Skies will be mostly sunny to sunny and conditions will be dry. It is also going to be breezy today along the Rocky Mountain Front with sustained winds of 10 to 25 mph. Elsewhere, it will be a little breezy today with sustained winds of 5 to 20 mph.
Tomorrow and Thursday will be partly to mostly sunny and dry, while Friday will be partly cloudy and dry. Mild temperatures are expected tomorrow and Thursday, with highs in the upper 60s and low to mid 70s. Temperatures briefly warm back up for Friday, with highs back in the mid to upper 70s and low 80s. Little to no wind is expected in most areas tomorrow and Thursday, but gusty conditions will return Friday with sustained winds of 10 to 30 mph.
A significant cooldown is expected this weekend, with Sunday being the coldest day since last spring. Highs on Saturday will be in the 50s and mid to upper 40s before dropping into the mid to upper 30s and low to mid 40s on Sunday. There will also be a breeze around this weekend, with sustained winds of 10 to 20 mph, which will make it feel even colder.
Precipitation is expected to develop and become more widespread on Saturday ahead of an approaching cold front. Widespread precipitation is then expected Saturday night.
Precipitation will initially be in the form of rain in the lower elevations, but snow levels will drop behind the cold front Saturday evening/night, allowing for a rain/snow mix, or a transition to all snow in some of the lower elevations.
On Sunday, widespread rain/snow is expected, with western areas seeing more snow than rain and eastern areas seeing more rain than snow. The snow/rain will continue into Monday, but will gradually taper off as the day goes on as the storm system departs our area.
There is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding this storm system, including how much moisture becomes available, how cold the temperatures get, and how quickly the colder air arrives. Those variables will determine how low snow levels get and how much accumulation occurs.
As of right now, accumulating snow is likely in the mountains, with over a foot of snow possible. In the lower elevations, a few to several inches of snow is possible, with the highest snow amounts in the foothills of the mountains and across western portions of north-central Montana.
Since it is October, a lot of the snow that initially falls will melt and it will be hard for snow to accumulate during the day. Accumulations will also be much higher on grassy surfaces than on paved surfaces in the lower elevations. At and above mountain pass level, be prepared for difficult travel conditions at times later Saturday through Monday. Stay tuned to KRTV/KXLH and KTVH/KTGF for the latest updates.
Have a tremendous Tuesday!
Chief Meteorologist Ryan Dennis
