We had beautiful weather again today and this beautiful weather is going to stick around for the rest of the work week as an upper-level ridge remains in control of our weather! An unsettled weather pattern is then expected this weekend and next week as an upper-level trough is going to be in control of our weather.
Tonight, we are going to have clear skies and cool temperatures as lows are going to be in the 30s in most locations. Tomorrow will be a gorgeous day with mainly sunny skies, little to no wind, and cooler, but still pleasant temperatures as highs are going to be in the 60s and low 70s. Friday will be a warm day, possibly the warmest day for the rest of this year, as highs are going to be in the 70s and upper 60s. We are also going to have mainly sunny skies and dry conditions on Friday. There will also be a little more wind around on Friday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 5 and 20 mph, with the strongest wind along the eastern half of the Hi-Line.
Here is the detailed forecast:
Unsettled weather returns this weekend as an upper-level trough begins to impact our area. On Saturday, we are going to have partly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms around as a cold front passes through the state. This precipitation will become more widespread as we head into Saturday evening/night and the snow levels will drop as well. Mountain snow is then likely on Sunday and there will be scattered rain showers around in the lower elevations, especially during the morning, as another cold front passes through the state. It will also be cold enough for some lower elevation snow on Sunday as snow levels may get as low as ~4000 feet. We are also going to have partly to mostly cloudy skies on Sunday.
Accumulating snow is likely in the mountains this weekend as up to 6” of snow is possible, with higher amounts possible in the Glacier National Park area. Some lower elevations, especially those near the mountains, may also receive light snow accumulations this weekend. This snow may create difficult travel at/above mountain pass level Saturday night into Sunday, so please use caution when driving.
The temperatures will cool down a lot this weekend as highs on Saturday are going to be in the 60s and low to mid 70s (warmest in northeastern Montana), and highs on Sunday are going to be in the 40s and upper 30s. It is also going to be breezy/gusty this weekend as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph, and wind gusts over 40 mph are possible. On Saturday, the wind will be coming out of the west-southwest, while on Sunday, the wind will be coming out of the west-northwest.
The unsettled weather will stick around for at least the first half of next week as the upper-level trough remains in control of our weather. On Monday, there is going to be some scattered snow/rain around, mainly in central Montana and in western portions of north-central Montana. Scattered rain and snow showers are then expected on Tuesday, especially during the afternoon/evening, and a mixture of rain and snow is likely on Wednesday. The lower elevations will likely see some snow next week, and light snow accumulations are possible. In the mountains, all the precipitation next week will be in the form of snow, and accumulations are likely.
It is also going to be chilly next week, but the temperatures will warm up a little bit as the week goes on. On Monday, highs are going to be in the 30s and low to mid 40s. On Tuesday, highs are going to be in the 40s and low 50s, and on Wednesday, highs are going to be in the mid to upper 40s and low 50s.
