Happy Friday! We have phenomenal weather to close out the week with sunshine and continued warming temperatures. Some clouds will arrive this evening, along with a few isolated rain or snow showers, especially near the Divide. Daytime highs will be in the upper 20s in northeastern Montana, the mid to upper 30s for the Hi-Line, and the upper 30s and lower 40s in central Montana.
Wind will be a consistent factor in the forecast over the next several days. A HIGH WIND WATCH is in effect from Saturday at 11:00 PM through Sunday at 11:00 PM for the Continental Divide, the Rocky Mountain Front, the I-15 corridor north of Power, the southern High Plains, Cascade County, and Judith Basin County. Sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts up to 70 mph, are expected during this timeframe. High-profile vehicles should avoid north-south oriented roadways in these areas. While blowing and drifting snow is a possibility, temperatures are expected to rise above freezing in most areas, which will diminish the threat of blowing snow.
Aside from the wind, mild temperatures will make for a pleasant weekend, with highs ranging from the upper 30s to low to mid 40s on Saturday, and in the 40s to low 50s on Sunday. Saturday will be mostly sunny to partly cloudy and dry. More clouds will arrive on Sunday, with some isolated rain and mountain snow showers.
The warmer weather will continue into next week, with high temperatures expected to be in the mid to upper 40s and low to mid 50s from Monday to Thursday. However, it will be a bit unsettled on Tuesday and Wednesday with slightly cooler temperatures, with highs in the upper 30s and 40s. Stronger winds are also expected to carry over into next week.
