The cold weather continues to retreat as strong chinook winds warmed north central Montana by 30°-45° in the last 24 hours. Gusts have been as high as 53 mph in Great Falls, 66 mph in Cut Bank and 83 mph at Deep Creek on the Rocky Mountain Front. The wind will decrease slightly throughout the day, but it remains breezy through Wednesday evening.
Blowing snow is a travel concern in Fergus and Judith Basin counties, as well as the Little Belts and Highwoods, where there is still leftover snowpack. Daytime highs will climb into the upper 20s to mid 30s. Use extreme caution if traveling in a high-profile vehicle, tractor trailer, or carrying a trailer. Montana Department of Transportation has issued Blow Over Warnings for I-15 south of Great Falls, Highway 89 from the Canadian Border to Chouteau, and U.S. 2 from East Glacier to Cut Bank. There are also restricitons for high-profile vehicles on Highway 191 from Eddie's Corner to Harlowton.
Northwest flow will bring a couple of systems through the area over the next few days. The first system arrives Tuesday evening and lasts through Wednesday evening, primarily impacting the mountain ranges in central Montana. Although, around 1-4 inches of snowfall is possible for lower elevation areas within the Winter Weather Advisory. Upslope flow will lead to heavier snow in the mountains, with 5-12" expected.
Daytime highs will remain in the upper 20s to mid-30s Wednesday and Thursday. Winds are going to be very strong again on Wednesday from Great Falls to Lewistown, with gusts over 40 mph. Widespread gusts of 30-40 mph are likely across the plains east of I-15. Mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies are anticipated for Wednesday, with partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies on Thursday as a cold front approaches.
The cold front will move through the area Thursday night into Friday, spreading snow showers across central and eastern Montana. A widespread light snowfall is expected in the lower elevations, with heavier snow for northerly upslope areas. Cold air will move in behind the cold front. Daytime highs this weekend will reach the 10s and 20s, and overnight lows will dip into the -0s and 0s. Mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies, along with occasional light snow showers, are expected throughout the weekend.
