Brrrr! Fortunately, Thanksgiving holiday temperatures will not be as cold as Saturday morning when it was as cold as -10. Over the next few days, the weather will be quiet and traveling will be easy through Montana and much of the west. High pressure will make for a few more sunny days, with calm conditions in the valleys but windy over north central Montana. This same high pressure is creating stagnant air in the Pacific Northwest, where some of the California wildfire smoke is creating poor air quality. Good news though, a new storm will move into the west coast on Wednesday. This will not only clean out the stagnant air, but deliver much needed rainfall to California. Both the Camp Fire in northern California and the Woolsey Fire in southern California will get rain. This storm will come close to Montana on Thanksgiving. Travelers heading into Idaho will run into some snow on Montana’s western and southern border. Some snow will fall on Thanksgiving in the northwest corner of Montana, and Marias Pass will likely have snow as well. However, most of the state will be dry, mild and windy on Thanksgiving Day. Friday morning, a sharp cold front could produce a burst of snow that may briefly make roads slippery for Black Friday Shoppers. Friday night into Saturday will be a snowy period for the state, as a few inches could accumulate. Right now, Sunday and Monday appear to be smooth sailing for travelers headed back home.
Have a great day!
Curtis Grevenitz
