WEATHER DISCUSSION: An upper-level ridge continues to stay over the region, which is why it was another day of warm temperatures, light winds, and sunny skies. High temperatures ranged in the 50’s/60’s with low temperatures tonight expected in chilly 20’s and 30’s again with increasing cloud cover.
Tonight into early Monday morning, an upper-level trough along with a surface cold front begins to move over into the region. Combined with Pacific moisture and northwest flow, there will be opportunities for fog and/or freezing drizzle across North-central Montana early Monday morning. This fog has the potential to be dense with possible visibility of one quarter mile or less across much of North-central Montana though a Dense Fog Advisory won’t be issued at this time.
The upper-level trough will remain over the area through Wednesday morning, bringing widespread light snow and cooler temperatures slightly below average. The most impactful snow will be Monday night into Tuesday. Through this time frame, there will be chances for snow accumulation around two inches or more across the US Highway 87/Montana Highway 200 Corridor between Great Falls and Lewistown.
Other lower elevations of North-central, Central, and Southwestern Montana have a chance for an inch of snow or greater. Across the mountains of these areas, expect chances for four inches of snow or greater Monday through Tuesday.
From the middle to the end of next week, expect slightly cooler temperatures closer to average with drier conditions in North Central and Central MT. A likely strong surface pressure gradient will increase winds along the Rocky Mountain Front. An upper-level ridge will reenter the region warming up temperatures even more into next weekend.
