A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the northern part of the Rocky Mountain Front from 9pm Friday until 5am Sunday. 2 to 8 inches of snow accumulation is possible at Marias Pass, while up to 15 inches of snow accumulation is possible in the higher elevations. Blowing and drifting snow is also possible.
There is also a Winter Storm Watch in effect for portions of northeastern Montana for Saturday. Up to 6 inches of snow accumulation is possible. Drifting snow is also possible.
A High Wind Watch is in effect for southwestern and parts of south-central Montana from 9am until 11pm Saturday. Sustained wind speeds are going to be between 25 and 35 mph, and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible.
The wind is going to diminish this evening and only a light breeze is expected tonight as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 5 and 15 mph. We are also going to have partly to mostly cloudy skies tonight with a slight chance of snow and rain showers. It is also going to be a lot colder tonight than it was last night as lows are going to be in the 20s and 30s. A few spots will even get down into the teens tonight.
For tomorrow, we are going to have mostly to partly cloudy skies with a chance to see a few snow and rain showers, generally during the afternoon and evening. It is also going to be a lot colder tomorrow than it was today and yesterday as highs are only going to be in the 30s and 40s. There is also just going to be a light breeze around tomorrow.
Areas of snow will then be around tomorrow night, especially after midnight, and Saturday morning. A lot of this snow is going to fall along the Hi-Line and along the Rocky Mountain Front. There are then going to be scattered rain and snow showers around Saturday afternoon and evening. Scattered snow showers are then expected Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Along the Hi-Line and along the Rocky Mountain Front, 2 to 6 inches of snow accumulation is possible by Sunday morning. In the higher elevations, several inches of snow accumulation is expected by Sunday morning. In the plains, including Great Falls, Helena, and Lewistown, up to 2 inches of snow accumulation is possible by Sunday morning.
It is also going to be windy on Saturday, especially during the afternoon and evening, as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 15 and 30 mph. We are also going to have a wide range of temperatures on Saturday as highs are going to be in the upper 20s and low to mid 30s along the Hi-Line, while highs are going to be on either side of 50 degrees in other towns/cities, including Great Falls and Helena. It is then going to be cold on Sunday as highs are only going to be in the upper 20s and low to mid 30s in all locations. There is also going to be a little bit of a breeze around on Sunday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 5 and 20 mph.
Widespread accumulating snow is then expected on Monday as a storm system passes through our area. Light to moderate snow accumulations are expected. It is also going to be cold and a little breezy on Monday as highs are going to be in the 30s and sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 15 mph.
Partly cloudy skies and mostly dry conditions are then expected on Tuesday as we are going to be in between storm systems. There are then going to be some more scattered snow showers around on Wednesday and Thursday as a few more disturbances pass through our area. It is also going to be chilly on Tuesday and Thursday as highs are going to be in the low to mid 30s. On Wednesday, it is going to be cool as highs are going to be in the upper 30s and low 40s. Breezy conditions (sustained wind speeds between 10 and 25 mph) are also expected on Tuesday and Thursday, while windy conditions (sustained wind speeds between 20 and 35 mph) are expected on Wednesday.
