A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect for the Hi-Line from Cut Bank to Havre and for the Bears Paw mountains, southern Blaine County, and southwestern Phillips County until 9am/11am Friday.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for most of Lewis and Clark County (excluding Helena) and western Teton County until 3pm Friday.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for Cascade County, Fergus County, and Judith Basin County as well as the Highwoods and Little Belts from 9pm Thursday until 12pm Saturday.
It was a very windy day today between the Divide and I-15 in north-central Montana as peak wind gusts were between 60 and 85 mph. Elsewhere, we had gusty to strong winds around during the day today with wind gusts over 40 mph at times. As we go through this evening and tonight, widespread blustery conditions are expected as winds are going to be gusting over 50 mph at times. The wind direction is also going to change from the west/southwest to the north/northwest overnight tonight behind a cold front. Blustery conditions are also expected again tomorrow in locations east of I-15 as wind gusts over 40 mph are possible. Around and west of I-15, it will be breezy tomorrow morning as wind gusts over 30 mph are possible. The wind tomorrow is also going to be coming out of the north or northwest in most spots. Another round of wind is then expected on Saturday as another front passes through our area. This wind will be the strongest during the morning and in locations east of I-15 as gusts up to 40 mph are possible.
There is also going to be scattered snow around tonight and tomorrow, especially between midnight tonight and noon tomorrow, as a couple cold fronts pass through our area. Snow squalls are also possible tonight and tomorrow due to the combination of snow and gusty winds, so be prepared for areas of reduced visibility if you are going to be traveling anywhere. Another round of scattered snow is then expected tomorrow night and Saturday morning as another front passes through our area. Snow showers will then taper off as we head into the second half of Saturday. We are also going to have increasing clouds tonight; mostly cloudy to overcast skies tomorrow and tomorrow night; and partly cloudy skies (via decreasing clouds) on Saturday.
In the lower elevations, less than 3” of snow is expected through Sunday morning in most locations, but along I-15 between Great Falls and Butte (excluding Helena), 1-4” of snow is expected through Sunday morning, and along Highway 87 between Belt and Lewistown, 2-7” of snow is expected through Sunday morning. In the mountains, 4-10+” of snow is expected through Sunday morning, with the highest amounts in the Highwoods, the Judiths, the Little Belts, the Moccasins, and the Snowies. If you are going to be traveling anywhere, be prepared for slippery roads. If you are going to be traveling along Highway 87 between Belt and Lewistown or in the mountains, be prepared for difficult travel conditions at times.
Highs tomorrow are going to be in the 20s and upper teens, but these highs are going to occur during the morning, with falling temperatures throughout the day. It is then going to be frigid this weekend as highs are going to be in the -0s, 0s, and low to mid 10s, with Sunday being the colder day. Lows this weekend are going to range from the -20s to the +0s, with Sunday night being the coldest night. Dangerous wind chills are also expected this weekend, as wind chills will be below zero from tomorrow through Monday night, and wind chills may get as low as -45°. Please limit your time outdoors this weekend, and if you are going to be outside, make sure you cover all exposed skin and wear multiple layers. Also, please keep an eye out on your livestock and try and keep them as warm as possible.
On Sunday, we are going to have partly to mostly sunny skies with a few isolated snow showers around. Lots of sunshine and dry conditions are then expected on MLK Day (Monday). There is also going to be little to no wind around on Sunday, but breezy conditions will return to some areas on Monday with sustained wind speeds between 10 and 20 mph. Warmer air also begins to return on Monday as highs are going to be in the single digits and low to mid teens.
Some scattered snow is then possible on Tuesday and Wednesday as another disturbance passes through our area. We are also going to have partly to mostly cloudy skies and much warmer temperatures on these two days as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 20s and low to mid 30s. It is also going to be breezy on Tuesday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 25 mph, and it is going to be a little breezy on Wednesday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 5 and 20 mph.
