After a slow start to winter, January brought significant snowfall and colder temperatures to central Montana. Here's how this month compared to the 30-year average for temperatures and precipitation in Great Falls and Helena.
The last several days have been exceptional, with many areas reaching the 40s and 50s. Friday is expected to be fairly nice again, although there will be mostly cloudy to overcast skies. Daytime highs will reach the 30s on the Hi-Line, the low to mid 40s across central Montana and the Rocky Mountain Front, and the upper 20s and lower 30s in the Helena area. Isolated rain and snow showers will continue throughout the remainder of the day. An atmospheric river is moving into western Montana, where snow, freezing rain, and rain will overspread areas along and west of the Continental Divide today.
An arctic cold front is going to drop south through Montana during the day on Saturday. There will be sunshine in the morning, followed by increasing clouds throughout the afternoon. Winds will be fairly strong along the front, with temperatures dropping rapidly behind it. There will be scattered snow squalls Saturday afternoon and evening, especially for the Helena area and southwestern Montana. This will lead to brief but intense snow that will result in quick reductions in visibility. Travel could be very difficult over Rogers Pass.
Along the immediate eastern slopes of the Rockies, over 5 inches of snow is expected from tomorrow morning through Sunday morning, with up to two feet of snow possible in Glacier National Park. For the northern high plains, including Browning and around Cut Bank, as well as in central Montana, including Helena and Lewistown, a coating to 3 inches of snow is possible through Sunday morning, with up to 6 inches possible in central Montana's mountain ranges east of I-15. Elsewhere, little to no snow accumulation is expected.
Above average temperatures will continue on Saturday as highs are going to be in the 30s and low to mid 40s, falling into the 10s and 20s during the evening. Tomorrow morning through Saturday, expect windy conditions along the Rocky Mountain Front, with sustained wind speeds of 20-45 mph and gusts up to 75 mph. This, combined with heavy snow, will create whiteout conditions at times in the Glacier area, including over Marias Pass, making travel difficult to impossible from Friday evening through Saturday evening.
Snow is going to develop on Sunday during the afternoon and evening, continuing Monday through Wednesday. The steadiest snow is anticipated on Tuesday for central Montana. It will dry out on Thursday. By Thursday morning, areas near the Rocky Mountain Front can expect 3-9 inches of snow. The Hi-Line will receive 1-4 inches, except for southern Blaine and Phillips counties, where 5-9 inches may accumulate. Across central Montana, 3-7 inches of snow will be common, while the U.S. 87/MT-200 corridor from Armington Junction to Lewistown could see 6-12 inches. The mountains will receive 8-18 inches of snowfall, and around 2-4 inches is expected in the Helena area. Be prepared for difficult travel conditions throughout much of the state next week!
The cold will be a big headline next week; if you must travel, ensure you have an emergency kit in case you get stuck. It will be notably colder by Sunday and next week, with highs in the 0s and low 10s on Sunday (10s and low 20s around Helena), and -0s and 0s from Monday through Wednesday, with lows in the -0s and -10s. Temperatures will rise slightly on Thursday, with highs in the teens and low 20s. Additionally, expect a light breeze on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, with sustained wind speeds of 5 to 20 mph.
