WEATHER DISCUSSION: Areas of snow continue to create slippery travel overnight into the Monday morning commute across north central Montana. Overall, a general coating to 4 inches of snow can be expected. A cold front has already pushed through the region and continues to move further south. High temperatures will be 15-25 degrees colder on Monday than Sunday. Wind chills hover on either side of 0 degrees throughout the day.
The major winter storm impacting the Dakotas and upper Midwest is going to have little impact on central Montana. However, heavy bands of snow will impact eastern Montana, including Glasgow, on Tuesday lasting through Thursday morning. There will also be blowing and drifting snow, particularly east of Billings on I-94 and I-90. Expect major travel impacts in these areas. A weaker, clipper system brings another round of light snow showers to central and western Montana on Wednesday. Moisture will be fairly limited with Wednesday's system, keeping snowfall amounts on the lighter side.
Arctic air is forecast to settle into the region next weekend and sticks around through at least the Christmas holiday. An extended period of frigid, and potentially record-breaking, temperatures can be expected across Montana for the next couple of weeks. Highs may struggle to reach 0 degrees east of the Divide during the day and falling well below zero at night next week.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Snow showers impacting north central Montana, otherwise mostly cloudy. Snow accumulating a coating to 4 inches by Monday morning. Overnight lows in the 0s.
MONDAY: Snow showers tapering during the afternoon. Mostly cloudy to cloudy. Highs in the low to mid 10s throughout central Montana, with lower 20s for northeastern Montana. Scattered snow showers continuing overnight for areas east of a line from Havre to Lewistown. Otherwise, mostly cloudy with temperatures falling into 0s.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny near the Continental Divide, increasing cloud cover further east. Increasing snow showers in eastern Montana. High temperatures in the mid to upper 10s for the Hi-Line, with low to mid 20s for central Montana. Snow, heavy at times, overnight in eastern Montana. Elsewhere, partly cloudy skies and temperatures falling into the 0s.
WEDNESDAY: Snow, heavy at times, with a strong northwesterly breeze at 10-20 MPH in eastern Montana. Scattered, light snow showers for central Montana. Lighter snow accumulation expected for central Montana, with heavier snow amounts in far eastern Montana. High temperatures in the low to mid 20s. Snow showers tapering in central Montana, with snow continuing in eastern Montana. Overnight lows in the 0s.
THURSDAY: Snow showers tapering in eastern Montana. Otherwise, partly cloudy skies. Highs in the low to mid 20s. Remaining partly cloudy overnight as temperatures fall into the 0s.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs in the 10s for the Hi-Line, with low to mid 20s for the Rocky Mountain Front and central Montana. A few, additional clouds moving in overnight as temperatures fall into the -0s and 0s.
SATURDAY: A chance for scattered snow showers. Otherwise, partly cloudy. Highs in the 10s for the Hi-Line, with lower 20s for central Montana. Overnight lows falling into the -0s and 0s.
SUNDAY: Frigid, mostly cloudy and scattered snow showers. Highs in the 0s and lower 10s.
