WEATHER DISCUSSION: An upper-level disturbance moved eastward across MT this afternoon. With just enough instability, some isolated severe storms developed but diminished by late afternoon. Otherwise, expect increasing clouds tonight with scattered snow showers. Low temperatures dip below zero for some northern areas with other locations seeing single digits, teens, and 20s. It will be breezy tonight around North Central and Central MT, with gusts up to 40 mph.
A strong cold front moves into the region late tonight and on Saturday morning. Expect temperatures to fall into single digits below zero by late Saturday morning. Snow showers will accompany the cold front with a few heavier snow showers and snow squalls over Southwest MT. Snow accumulations look minor over the northern Plains, generally less than an inch. In the mountains, there will be more snow, mostly a 2-to-5-inch snowfall for the mountains, with Glacier Park seeing a bit more around 5-to-10 inches.
The other concern on Saturday will be the wind chills. Expect wind chills to fall below -25 below over much of North Central MT on Saturday morning. Cold Weather Advisories (light blue) have issued for much of North Central MT.
The exception is the Havre/Harlem areas where it will be near -40 below so an Extreme Cold Warning (dark blue) issued for those locations. Warm air starts to move back into the area by Saturday evening, so the cold statements start to expire already from west to east starting late Saturday evening.
This cold snap will be short lived, as the warmer air really starts to move back early next week. Expect generally dry conditions along with a warming trend, as temperatures return to the 30s and 40s by Monday.
An increase the chances for mainly mountain rain/snow showers and breezy winds occur towards the end of next week towards the weekend.
