It has been a gusty day today, but outside of the wind, it has been beautiful, with mostly sunny skies, dry conditions, and pleasant temperatures. A storm system is going to bring major changes to the state over the next couple of days though.
Here is the detailed forecast:
This evening and tonight, we are going to have increasing clouds and some snow will begin to develop along the Continental Divide. The wind will diminish some this evening, but it will continue to be breezy in a lot of areas tonight as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph. Along the Rocky Mountain Front, it will continue to be windy tonight as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 15 and 35 mph. It will also be cool tonight as lows are going to be in the mid to upper 30s and low to mid 40s.
Tomorrow will be partly to mostly cloudy with snow along the Divide throughout the day and scattered rain showers developing east of the Divide during the afternoon and evening as a cold front approaches the state. This cold front will pass through our area tomorrow night, with widespread rain showers switching over to snow showers. Some of the snow that falls along and behind the front may be heavy and a few snow squalls are possible. Isolated thunderstorms will also be possible tomorrow afternoon/evening and night.
On Thursday, snow showers are likely around the Helena area and there are going to be scattered snow showers around in north-central Montana as a storm system continues to impact the state. It is also going to be cloudy to mostly cloudy on Thursday, with a little clearing during the second part of the day.
Most of the snow that accumulates with this system will be at and above mountain pass level. That’s where 3-12” of snow is expected through Thursday evening, with up to 20” of snow possible on the peaks in Glacier National Park. Travel will be slick over the mountain passes at times tomorrow and Thursday, so use caution when driving and give yourself some extra time to get to where you need to go. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for the Glacier area from 12am tonight until 9am Thursday.
In the lower elevations, less than 2” of snow is expected, with most locations receiving 0-1” of snow. The bulk of the accumulation will be on grassy surfaces, so roads should primarily just be wet, but could become slushy in some areas Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
Gusty winds are expected again tomorrow as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph, and wind gusts over 40 mph are possible. It is also going to feel nice outside again tomorrow as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 50s and low to mid 60s.
Thursday will be a cold and blustery day as highs are only going to be in the 30s and sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph, which will make it feel like it is in the teens and 20s. This wind will be coming out of the northwest in most locations.
On Friday, snow showers are likely around Helena and there are going to be some scattered snow showers around in north-central Montana, generally in the mountains and along the Rocky Mountain Front. It is also going to be mostly cloudy on Friday around Helena and it is going to be partly cloudy on Friday in north-central Montana. The wind will be weaker on Friday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 5 and 20 mph, and it will be a little warmer as highs are going to be in the upper 30s and low to mid 40s.
Nice weather is expected this weekend and on Monday as an upper-level ridge is going to be in control of our weather. The temperatures will warm up a lot over these three days as highs are going to be in the 50s on Saturday; the 60s on Sunday; and the mid to upper 60s and low to mid 70s on Monday. It is also going to be partly to mostly sunny and dry on these three days. The wind also won’t be too bad on these three days, but it will be breezy in some areas as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
