Thanks to a chinook wind, it was gusty today as wind gusts were over 40 mph in some locations. This chinook wind also brought warmer air back to north-central Montana as highs today were in the 40s and 50s.
Here is the detailed forecast:
Around Helena, there is going to be scattered rain and snow around tonight and tomorrow morning, especially in the mountains. This precipitation will then taper off as we head into the afternoon and early evening. In north-central Montana, there is going to be some scattered rain and snow around tonight and tomorrow morning, generally along the Divide/Rocky Mountain Front and in Cascade County, Judith Basin County, and Fergus County. Tomorrow afternoon and early evening will be mostly dry. There are then going to be more scattered rain and snow showers around late tomorrow evening and tomorrow night, especially in central Montana. Wednesday will be mostly dry, just a few lingering snow and rain showers around during the morning.
Snow will pile up along the Divide through Wednesday evening as over a foot is possible on the peaks and up to 8” of snow is possible over some of the mountain passes. East of the Divide, up to 6” of snow is possible in the mountains. Due to this snow, a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for the Divide/Rocky Mountain Front, portions of western Montana, and the Little Belts/Highwoods until 5am/11am Tuesday.
In the lower elevations, most locations will receive little to no snow accumulation, but up to 2” of snow is possible in the lower elevations in Fergus County and Judith Basin County. Roads will be slick at and above mountain pass level and may be slick in a few lower elevation areas, so please be careful when driving.
It is going to be cool tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday as lows tonight are going to be in the 20s and low to mid 30s, and highs tomorrow and Wednesday are going to be in the 40s and mid to upper 30s. It will be breezy (gusts up to 40 mph) through the first half of tonight, but the wind will gradually weaken as the night goes on. Tomorrow, it will be breezy (gusts up to 40 mph) along the Rocky Mountain Front, while elsewhere, it will just be a little breezy as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 5 and 20 mph. It is also going to be mostly cloudy to overcast tonight. Tomorrow, expect decreasing clouds from north to south as the day goes on. It will then be mostly sunny on Wednesday.
Along the Rocky Mountain Front, it is going to be extremely windy Wednesday through Friday morning as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 35 and 55 mph, and wind gusts of 90-100+ mph are possible. East of the Rocky Mountain Front, it will also be pretty windy Wednesday through Friday morning as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 15 and 45 mph, and gusts of 60-80 mph are possible. Due to this wind, a HIGH WIND WATCH is in effect for the Rocky Mountain Front and a lot of north-central Montana from Wednesday through Friday morning. For the Bozeman/Helena/White Sulphur Springs area, a HIGH WIND WATCH is in effect from 2am until 11pm on Wednesday.
On Thursday, it is going to be partly to mostly cloudy and mostly dry. It is also going to be mild on Thursday as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 40s and low to mid 50s.
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 with snow developing from north to south as the day goes on. Widespread snow is then likely Friday night. The snow will then gradually taper 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 Sunday and Monday as high pressure takes over. These two days will be mostly sunny and dry. The temperatures will also quickly warm back up over these two days as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 20s and low to mid 30s on Sunday (40s around Helena) and the 40s on Monday. Little to no wind on Sunday, but breezy conditions (gusts up to 40 mph) will return to some areas on Monday.
