Happy Thursday! Strong west-southwest winds will persist into the afternoon hours, with gusts of 40-50 mph likely across central Montana and up to 60 mph in Cascade and Judith Basin Counties. Along the Divide and the Rocky Mountain Front, gusts of 60-70 mph are expected, with isolated gusts possibly reaching 80-90 mph. It'll be a bit breezy in the valleys today, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
Today will be unseasonably mild across the region, with temperatures in the 40s and a few areas reaching the lower 50s. There is going to be a smokey smell and some smog in the Helena Valley this morning due to prescribed burns and an inversion trapping the smoke near the surface. Otherwise, expect abundant sunshine throughout the day.
Later tonight, the first of two cold fronts will pass through the area, bringing strong wind gusts and light snow showers. The second cold front will move south across the state early Friday morning, shifting the wind direction to the north and triggering the development of more snow showers across central Montana.
Snow showers will continue on Friday as an upper level system begins to impact the area. In lower elevations, most areas can expect less than 2 inches of snow. However, along Highway 87 between Belt and Lewistown and along I-15 south of Great Falls to north of Butte (excluding the Helena area), 1-4 inches of snow is anticipated. In the mountains, 3-8 inches of snow is possible from Thursday night into Friday. Expect mostly cloudy to overcast skies on Friday, with temperatures starting in the 20s and tumbling into the 10s and 0s later in the day.
The coldest temperatures since last winter are expected this weekend, with highs in the -0s, 0s, and low 10s, and lows dropping to -0s, -10s, and even -20s. The coldest wind chills and most dangerous conditions are expected from Saturday evening through Monday afternoon, with wind chills potentially falling as low as -40 degrees. After a relatively mild winter so far, ensure that your pets, home, and yourself are prepared for this arctic blast.
On the bright side, temperatures are expected to rebound and warm back up next week. Some areas, like Havre and Fort Benton, may warm up more slowly due to cold air becoming trapped in the river valleys. Highs on Monday are expected to be in the 0s and 10s, followed by mid to upper 20s and lower 30s for Tuesday and Wednesday. Gusty winds will also return by the middle of next week. Monday will be dry, sunny, and cold, but more clouds and scattered snow showers are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
