Merry Christmas Eve! Today has the potential to be the mildest Christmas Eve since 1999 in Great Falls, with a forecast high of 54°. Most of central Montana will see similar temperatures, ranging from the mid 40s to low 50s. Expect mostly cloudy skies and breezy conditions throughout the day, especially along the Rocky Mountain Front and areas from Great Falls to Lewistown.
This evening, a system will move into southwest Montana, bringing light snow to the mountains in central and southwest Montana, along with widely scattered rain and snow showers south of Highway 200. Mountain passes could be icy and slick by Christmas morning, but the system moves away early in the morning.
Temperatures will cool a bit on Christmas Day, with most locations reaching the low to mid 40s. Clouds will clear from west to east throughout the morning, leading to an sunny and breezy afternoon. Winds will gust between 40-50 mph west of I-15.
Throughout the rest of the week, we can expect mild, breezy conditions to continue. Scattered rain and snow showers will occur each day, but no significant precipitation is expected.
A pattern shift is anticipated early next week leading to cooler weather and better chances for precipitation.
