After a warm and beautiful few days, cool and blustery weather returns for Tuesday. A cool front is exiting the state, leaving widespread windy conditions across the plains and breezy conditions in the valleys and mountains. Watch for strong crosswinds on I-15 between the Canadian border and Great Falls. A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect for eastern Glacier, western Toole, and central Pondera counties, where gusts of up to 60 mph are likely through this evening.
Abundant sunshine is expected throughout the entire area. Daytime highs will be a good 10-15° cooler, with temperatures reaching the mid to upper 50s in central Montana and the low to mid 60s in eastern Montana. Cool and windy weather will persist into Wednesday, with temperatures once again hitting the 50s and lower 60s.
High pressure builds back in providing pleasant weather later in the week. On Thursday and Friday, we will have more sunshine, mainly dry conditions and mild temperatures. High temperatures are going to be in the mid to upper 60s and low to mid 70s for most areas.
A storm system will dive southeast from the Gulf of Alaska into Montana. This could be a significant storm for central Montana, however there are big differences in the forecast models. Some show widespread accumulating snow in the lower elevations, while others show a mainly mountain heavy snow event. In any case, much cooler and unsettled weather is ahead for the upcoming weekend, along with breezy conditions and periods of precipitation.
The precipitation will initially fall as rain in the lower elevations on Saturday, before switching over to snow Saturday night into Sunday. There will be heavier snow impacting travel in the mountains and over mountain passes. Daytime highs will only hit the 40s and lower 50s on Sunday.
