Following Tuesday's chilly temperatures and snow showers, Wednesday will offer more sunshine and milder temps. It was another cold start to our Wednesday, as temperatures dipped into the upper teens and lower 20s, with wind chills in the single digits and teens. For the rest of Wednesday, expect abundant sunshine but also breezier conditions as a high pressure ridge influences our weather. Daytime highs will climb into the upper 40s and lower 50s for the final full day of winter, as astronomical spring officially begins at 3:01 a.m. on Thursday with the arrival of the vernal equinox.
Widespread gusty to strong winds return on Thursday and continue through Friday and into this weekend. Across the plains, sustained wind speeds will range from 15 to 35 mph, with gusts possibly over 50 mph. Meanwhile, as per usual, the Rocky Mountain Front will experience stronger wind speeds ranging from 20 to 40 mph, with gusts over 60 mph. It will also be somewhat breezy in the Helena Valley over the next several days, with wind speeds generally ranging from 10 to 25 mph.
After a brief break, clouds and precipitation will return to Montana by Thursday morning as we kick off another round of active weather that will persist into the weekend. The first disturbance will be fairly weak, bringing 1-4 inches of snow to the mountain passes during the day on Thursday. Roads could be slick if you’re traveling into the higher elevations. For the lower elevations, most areas will not receive any snow accumulation, but scattered rain and snow showers are expected throughout the day.
On Friday, we will be in between systems, so it will mostly stay dry, but we will have partly to mostly cloudy skies. A stronger system will arrive late Friday night into Saturday, moving right across the northern tier of Montana. This will bring the heaviest snow totals to the mountains along the Divide, especially in Glacier National Park. Several inches of snow are likely over Marias Pass, so winter driving conditions should be expected on Highway 2. A cold front will accompany the low pressure and will move across central Montana early Friday morning. Given the colder temperatures, there is a possibility of some light accumulating snow during the early morning hours, mainly for the MT-200/U.S. 87 corridor from Great Falls to Lewistown.
Seasonable temperatures are expected throughout the weekend, with highs in the 40s and low to mid 50s in most locations. The cold front will also bring very gusty winds during Saturday morning and afternoon, with widespread gusts of 40 to 50 mph.
Unsettled weather will persist into next Monday, with mostly cloudy skies and a few rain showers throughout the day. However, temperatures start to warm, with many areas reaching the mid to upper 50s and low to mid 60s. Then, gorgeous spring weather is forecasted for Tuesday and Wednesday, courtesy of a strong ridge of high pressure building in from the west. Temperatures will warm into the 60s, and possibly even the low 70s, across the Treasure State, with record-challenging warmth possible by the middle of next week!
