A Taste of What's to Come

Snow, wind and colder temperatures are moving throughout Montana on this Thursday. Some areas up along the Hi-Line will drop below 0 into Friday morning. However this is not the brutal arctic air that is still several days away. Areas of light snow will continue tonight but clear out by Friday morning. After a little sunshine to start off the day, clouds will increase along with the wind by the afternoon. Strong southwest wind will create blowing snow and difficult travel conditions over the mountain passes and across the Hi-Line. Temperatures will be chilly, holding in the 20s to around 30 for highs. Snow will fly west of the Continental Divide through Friday afternoon and evening with some snow showers crossing the Divide through the overnight. Not much accumulation is likely with this snow, not just yet. Saturday will be a decent day to be out and about with highs in the 20s and 30s under partly to mostly cloudy skies. Snow showers will fly mainly over the mountains, and northwest Montana near Kalispell and Whitefish will have steadier snow throughout the day. The arctic air will slowly invade the state on Sunday. The front will take it's time moving southward through the state on Sunday, so the farther south you are the warmer it will be. Temperatures will range from the -0s near the Canadian border to the 30s by the Wyoming border. Light snow will increase through the afternoon and evening. Dangerous wind chill values will develop late in the day as the cold air moves south. Much of Montana will feel the chill by late Sunday. Monday will be a very cold and snowy day as the arctic boundary interacts with an area of low pressure. Several inches of snow are likely throughout much of Montana. Highs will mainly stay below 0, with northern Montana's highs holding in the -10s. Monday night will be bitterly cold as temperatures tumble into the -10s and -20s, with the coldest locations up near the Canadian border colder than -30. More snow and dangerous cold will prevail on Tuesday. Arctic high pressure will clear out the clouds and snow for Wednesday, but Wednesday morning could be the coldest day yet with widespread temperatures between -20 and -40. Another round of snow is likely between Thursday and Friday, with no real signs of a warmup.
Stay warm and safe.
Curtis Grevenitz