WEATHER DISCUSSION: A quiet night is in store for the region as low temperatures warm up slightly from yesterday into the 30’s with mostly cloudy to cloudy skies and winds on the lighter side, around 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph.
After a relatively quiet rest of the day today with just some passing high clouds, an upper-level ridge will continue to build in across the Northern Rockies. While this ridge will bring warmer temperatures and mostly sunny skies on Saturday.
However, expect windy conditions as a result of a higher surface pressure just to our west generating gusty winds across North Central and Southwestern Montana. Up to 40 mph winds will be expected along the Rocky Mountain Front.
As we head into Sunday, a deep upper-level low begins to push into British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, which will promote strong, gusty winds at the surface. Expect wind gusts of around 40-50 mph across most of the area, with the usually windy spots along the Rocky Mountain Front to Cut Bank seeing the chance for some wind gusts of 60-70 mph. Winds will persist into the overnight hours, especially across the plains, as cold air moves in.
Next week starting on Monday into Tuesday, expect periods of rain and mainly mountain snow to fall across the area. Some snowflakes will be possible though only in the valleys of Southwestern Montana and in higher elevations on the plains as well overnight. The upper-level trough over the area during this period will also cool temperatures down into the 50’s again.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy to cloudy with lows in the 30’s and 5 to 10 mph winds. Gusts up to 20 mph.
SATURDAY: Partly cloudy and breezy with highs in 60’s/70’s and lows in 40’s. 15 to 25 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy and breezy, then mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the 70’s and lows in the 30’s/40’s. 15 to 25 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph in the plains and up to 70 mph along the Rocky Mountain Front.
MONDAY: Partly cloudy and chance of rain and mountain snow. Highs in 50’s and lows in 30’s. 15 to 25 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph.
TUESDAY: Slight chance of rain and snow. Partly cloudy then mostly clear with highs in 40’s and lows in 20’s/30’s. 5 to 10 mph winds.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny then partly cloudy with highs in 50’s and lows in 30’s.
THURSDAY: Slight chance of rain and snow. Partly cloudy with highs in 50’s and lows in 20’s/30’s.
