There was a little rain, freezing rain, and snow around this morning, but that precipitation quickly tapered off and the skies cleared out, allowing many of us to enjoy some sunshine today. There was also some wind today, but nothing like what we had to deal with last week. Tonight, we are going to have partly to mostly cloudy skies and dry conditions. Breezy conditions (10-25 mph) will continue along the Rocky Mountain Front and in Glacier County, with little to no wind elsewhere. Lows tonight will be in the single digits and teens along the Hi-Line and the teens and 20s south of the Hi-Line.
Here is the detailed forecast:
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a few rain and snow showers around Helena, generally in the mountains, and a little freezing rain and snow around during the late afternoon and evening along the Hi-Line. A light glaze of ice is possible along the Hi-Line later tomorrow, so roads may be slick in some areas. The coldest temperatures tomorrow will be along the Hi-Line as highs are only going to be in the mid to upper 20s and low to mid 30s. South of the Hi-Line, highs will be in the 40s and mid to upper 30s tomorrow. Most will not have to deal with the wind tomorrow, but it will be breezy (10-25 mph) again in Glacier County and along the northern half of the Rocky Mountain Front.
If you are traveling on Christmas Eve, you will have good weather to do so. It will be mostly cloudy, but it will also be mainly dry through the early evening, so roads should be in good shape. It will be a cooler day in north-central Montana as highs are only going to be in the 20s and 30s, but it will remain mild around Helena, Lewistown, and Stanford with highs in the upper 30s and 40s. Some wind in and around the higher terrain, but overall, the wind won’t be much of an issue either.
A disturbance will pass through north-central Montana late Wednesday evening through Christmas morning. There will be scattered snow, freezing rain, and rain around as this disturbance passes through. Snow accumulation will be minimal, a coating or less for most. Ice accumulation could be an issue though as some areas may receive up to or over .1” of ice. This ice will make roads extremely slippery Wednesday night and Christmas morning. If you will be traveling anywhere Christmas morning, make sure you use extreme caution and give yourself some extra time to get to where you need to go. Isolated rain, freezing rain, and snow showers will be possible Christmas afternoon/evening as this disturbance departs our area.
Highs on Christmas will be in the mid to upper 20s and low 30s along the Hi-Line and the 30s and low to mid 40s south of the Hi-Line. The day will start off cloudy, but the skies will clear out some later in the day. There will also be a little breeze around.
Friday will be partly to mostly cloudy with some isolated rain, freezing rain, and snow showers around, generally along the Hi-Line and in the mountains. It is also going to be breezy and warmer on Friday as sustained winds will be between 10 and 25 mph and highs will be in the mid to upper 30s and low to mid 40s.
Some scattered snow showers are possible Friday night and Saturday morning as another disturbance impacts the state. It is also going to be partly cloudy on Saturday. The temperatures will also be a lot colder on Saturday as highs are going to be in the teens and 20s.
Sunday and Monday will feature partly cloudy skies, mostly dry conditions, and warmer temperatures as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 20s, 30s, and low 40s on Sunday and the 30s and 40s on Monday. Gusty winds (10-30 mph) are also expected on these two days.
