A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for the Glacier National Park area, some of the mountains in western and southwestern Montana, and part of northeastern Montana through Friday. In the lower elevations, up to 3 inches of snow accumulation is possible. Around mountain pass level, 2 to 8 inches of snow accumulation is expected, and above mountain pass level, 4 to 14 inches of snow accumulation is expected. Blowing snow and reduced visibility is also going to be an issue as winds are going to be gusting as high as 45 mph.
We are going to have partly to mostly cloudy skies tonight with some scattered rain and mountain snow showers around, generally after midnight and especially in the higher elevations, as a cold front begins to approach our area. There are then going to be scattered rain and snow showers around tomorrow, especially during the morning and especially in locations east of I-15, as this cold front passes through our area. In the lower elevations, most of the precipitation that falls during the daylight hours tomorrow is going to be in the form of rain, but some lower elevation locations may see some snow. We are also going to have mostly cloudy skies tomorrow.
The wind is going to begin to increase later on tonight. We are then going to have widespread gusty winds around tomorrow as this cold front passes through our area as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 30 mph, and wind gusts over 40 mph are possible. The wind tomorrow is also going to be coming out of the west during the morning and the west-northwest during the afternoon and evening. It is also going to be on the mild side again tonight as lows are going to be in the mid to upper 30s and low to mid 40s in most locations. It is then going to be cooler tomorrow than it was today as highs are going to be in the 40s and low 50s in most locations.
There are then going to be scattered areas of snow around tomorrow night and Friday morning, especially in locations east of I-15, as another disturbance passes through our area. In locations that see some of this snow, a coating to 2 or 3 inches of snow accumulation is possible. A few more scattered snow showers are then possible Friday afternoon and evening. We are also going to have mostly cloudy skies tomorrow night and on Friday. It is also going to be cooler on Friday than it is going to be tomorrow as highs are going to be in the 30s in most locations. There is also going to be a breeze around on Friday in eastern Montana and around the Helena area as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph.
We are then going to have increasing clouds on Saturday with a couple isolated snow showers around. It is also going to be cool and breezy on Saturday as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 30s, and sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph.
On Sunday, we are going to have partly cloudy skies with some scattered rain and snow showers around the Helena area (generally in the mountains) and some isolated rain and snow showers around in north-central Montana as another disturbance impacts our area. It is also going to be warmer on Sunday than it is going to be on Friday and Saturday as highs are going to be in the 40s in most locations. We are also going to have gusty winds around on Sunday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 30 mph, and wind gusts over 40 mph are possible.
There are then going to be some scattered snow showers around on Monday, generally in central Montana (including around Great Falls, Helena, and Lewistown) and along the Rocky Mountain Front. We are also going to have partly to mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures on Monday as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 30s and low 40s in most locations. It is also going to be a bit breezy on Monday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
We are then going to have mostly sunny skies and mostly dry conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday as high pressure is going to be in control of our weather. The temperatures are also going to warm up some between Tuesday and Wednesday as highs on Tuesday are going to be in the mid to upper 30s and low 40s, and highs on Wednesday are going to be in the 40s and low 50s. It is also going to be a bit breezy on Tuesday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph, and we are going to have gusty winds around on Wednesday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 30 mph.
