Happy Friday! It's shaping up to be a beautiful end to the week with mostly sunny skies and mild temperatures. Daytime highs will hit the upper 20s and lower 30s in northeastern Montana, upper 30s to mid 40s for the Hi-Line and low to mid 50s for central Montana. However, be prepared for another round of gusty winds, with wind gusts likely reaching 30 to 40 mph throughout the day.
A weak system is triggering some snow showers in northeastern Montana, where 1-3" could pile up northeast of Glasgow.
Saturday is the pick day of the weekend. Winds will ease a bit, and temperatures will once again climb into the 40s on the Hi-Line and the 50s in central Montana. However, clouds begin to move in by evening as another weak system approaches. This could bring some rain, snow, and potentially freezing drizzle Saturday night, particularly along the Hi-Line from Havre to Glasgow. Most of this precipitation is expected to hold off until after midnight, so please use extreme caution if you’re on the roads Saturday night into Sunday.
Temperatures drop into the 30s and 40s on Sunday. It is going to be blustery along the Rocky Mountain Front and in central Montana. Winds could gust to 60-70 mph near the Rocky Mountain Front and 40-50 mph elsewhere.
As we move into next week, expect some rain and snow along and west of the Divide as several disturbances pass through the area. While no major storms are anticipated, the weather will become more unsettled. Christmas Eve looks to be mild with isolated rain and snow showers. Temperatures will range from the mid 40s to lower 50s. On Christmas Day, we can expect some sunshine during the day, with the potential for rain and snow showers at night. It will remain breezy to windy at times across the plains, while the valleys and mountains see lighter winds.
