WEATHER DISCUSSION: It was another day of mild and above average temperatures. High temperatures today ranged in the mid to upper 40’s and 50’s with low temperatures tonight in the 30’s and 40’s. Expect a cloudy night tonight that will gradually clear through the early morning hours.
This afternoon an upper-level ridge took place over North-central, Central, and Southwestern Montana. Strong winds continue to all of North-central Montana with very strong winds along the Rocky Mountain Front and Adjacent Plains. The strongest and most widespread winds will occur tonight through Monday morning.
An upper-level short-wave will bring snow to Southwestern Montana and along the Rocky Mountain Front with rain that will fall along the Northern Rocky Mountain Front and Adjacent Plains in lower elevations. Light rain is likely in Fergus, Choteau, Hill, and Blaine Counties.
On Monday, another round of windy conditions will take place to much of North- central, Central, and Southwestern Montana again with the strongest winds along the Rocky Mountain Front. The upper-level shortwave will bring another round of snow to the Rocky Mountain Front and the mountains of Southwestern Montana on Monday. For wind on Monday there is a 40 - 80% chance for wind gusts of 55 mph or greater across most of the lower-elevations of North-central and Central Montana. Along the Rocky Mountain Front and Adjacent Plains there is a chance for wind gusts of 75 mph or greater. As a result, a High Wind Warning remains in effect across all of North-central Montana and a portion of Central Montana and the Madison River Valley from now through tomorrow. For snow on Monday, there is a 40 - 60% chance for 2 inches or greater along the Rocky Mountain Front. There will be another chance of rain in Blaine, Hill and Northeastern Choteau County on Monday as well. Most of this precipitation through Tuesday will fall as rain but some will fall as snow.
On Tuesday, another quick moving upper-level shortwave trough associated with a surface cold front moves through North-central, Central, and Southwestern Montana. This will bring more impactful snow to the Rocky Mountain Front, lowering snow-levels along the Rocky Mountain Front and bringing another round of windy conditions. There is a chance of 4 inches of snow or greater along the Rocky Mountain Front. For wind on Tuesday, there is a chance for wind gusts of 75 mph or greater along the Rocky Mountain Front and 55 mph wind gusts or greater along the plains adjacent to the Rocky Mountain Front.
Drier conditions will be around for the last half of the upcoming week with continued warm and breezy conditions.
