Another fantastic day of weather ahead here in central Montana, while some valleys in western Montana remain shrouded in fog and low clouds due to an inversion. Today's temperatures will be unseasonably warm, with highs reaching the upper 30s to mid 40s for the Hi-Line and the upper 40s to mid 50s for central Montana.
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The upper-level ridge responsible for this pleasant weather will start to break down this weekend as a Pacific cold front approaches. Ahead of the frontal passage, winds will become very strong across the entire area. A High Wind Warning is active from 2:00 PM Friday through 2:00 PM Sunday for the Rocky Mountain Front and the nearby foothills, along with eastern Glacier, western Toole, and central Pondera counties. These areas could see wind gusts exceeding 80mph with sustained winds of 30-50mph. The most intense winds are expected from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning.
A High Wind Watch is active for during this timeframe for the Snowy and Judith Mountains, Cascade County below 5000 feet, Fergus County below 4500 feet, and Judith Basin County, where gusts could reach up to 60 mph with sustained westerly winds of 25-35 mph. Folks driving high-profile vehicles should prepare for difficult travel conditions, as strong crosswinds on north-south oriented roadways may be capable of toppling trucks and trailers.
The system will bring snow to areas along and west of the Divide on Saturday. It could be slick traveling over Marias Pass, but otherwise most areas stay dry. A second system moves through Sunday into Monday, bringing heavier snowfall to the mountains and light snow showers across the plains. When all is said and done, the higher terrain will receive 5-10 inches of snowfall and the lower elevations could see up to an inch.
The wind will finally let up on Monday, but temperatures are much cooler with highs in the 30s, which is right around average for this time of year. The high pressure ridge will briefly rebuild over the area next week, leading to dry and warmer weather for the middle of the week. However, strong winds and mountain snow will make a quick return by Thursday as our weather pattern turns more active.
