There are going to be some scattered showers and thunderstorms around this evening (mainly in central Montana, including around Helena and Lewistown) and tonight. A couple of these thunderstorms may be severe with damaging winds being the main hazard. It is also going to be mild tonight as lows are going to be in the 50s in a lot of locations.
For tomorrow, there are going to be showers and thunderstorms around throughout the day, but especially during the afternoon and evening. Some of the thunderstorms that develop tomorrow may be severe with damaging winds (58+ mph) and/or large hail (1+” in diameter). In northeastern Montana, mainly east of Glasgow, there will likely be some severe thunderstorms later tomorrow with damaging winds (58+ mph), very large hail (2+”), and/or a tornado. Heavy rain is also expected with tomorrow’s thunderstorms, which could lead to some flash flooding.
Our cool-down will begin tomorrow as highs are going to range from the low 50s near the Rocky Mountain Front to the mid 70s in northeastern Montana. There is also going to be a bit of a breeze around east of I-15 tomorrow as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
Showers and thunderstorms will continue tomorrow night. On Saturday, there are going to be some scattered showers and a few thunderstorms around, but a lot of the day will be dry for most locations. A couple severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and/or large hail will also be possible on Saturday in eastern portions of north-central Montana. We are also going to have a mixture of sun and clouds on Saturday, so Saturday will ultimately be the sunnier and drier day of the weekend. However, around Glacier National Park and in Glacier County, steady precipitation is expected for most of the day on Saturday.
Wind will be a major nuisance on Saturday. An area of strong winds is expected along the Rocky Mountain Front and along the Hi-Line from Browning to Cut Bank to Chester and down to Conrad as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 20 and 40 mph, and wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible. Due to this wind, a HIGH WIND WATCH is in effect for this area from 9am Saturday until 3am Sunday. Elsewhere, gusty winds are expected on Saturday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 30 mph, and wind gusts up to 40 mph are possible. It is also going to be cool on Saturday as highs are going to range from the upper 40s along the Rocky Mountain Front to the mid 70s in northeastern Montana.
Sunday will be the wetter day of the weekend as showers are likely. A few isolated thunderstorms are also possible. We are also going to have mostly cloudy to overcast skies and chilly temperatures on Sunday as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 40s and low to mid 50s. There is also going to be a breeze around in some areas on Sunday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph. Overall, Sunday will be a lovely day to spend some time indoors!
This storm system will bring beneficial rain to most of Montana! Through Sunday evening, most of north-central Montana will receive between .5” and 1.5” of precipitation, with a few areas possibly receiving up to 2” of precipitation. Around Glacier National Park and in Glacier County, 1.5” to 2.5”+ of precipitation is expected through Sunday evening.
Snow levels will fall this weekend and may get as low as 4000-5000 feet Saturday night into Sunday morning. A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect for Glacier National Park from noon on Saturday until noon on Sunday as up to two feet of snow is possible above 6000’ and up to 6” of snow is possible on the valley floors. Going-to-the-Sun road will likely be temporarily closed this weekend due to this snow. If you are going to be recreating outdoors this weekend in Glacier National Park or the Bob Marshall Wilderness, be prepared for cold, wet, and raw conditions. In the other mountains in central and north-central Montana, a coating to a few inches of snow is possible.
The temperatures will quickly warm back up early next week as highs will be back in the 60s and low 70s on Monday and the 70s on Tuesday. We are also going to have partly to mostly sunny skies on these two days with a few showers and thunderstorms around, generally during the PM hours.
For Wednesday and Thursday, we are going to have partly to mostly sunny skies with a few isolated showers and thunderstorms around, generally during the PM hours and generally in locations east of I-15. It is also going to be warm on these two days as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 70s and low to mid 80s.
