Snow, wind, reduced visibility, cold…what is this, January? This winter doesn’t hold a candle to last winter when this Monday felt like the average day last year. Travel through Tuesday morning will continue to be dicey in some areas that have received snow and wind. Fortunately, the wind will die down by Tuesday morning for most locations. Tuesday will be a fair winter’s day with highs in the 20s to around 30, light wind and mostly sunny skies. Clouds will increase later in the day ahead of the next storm to affect the area. Wednesday will be a different day as a warm front moves up into the state. As the warmer air hits the current cold air in place, a light mix of snow, freezing rain and rain will develop for parts of western and central Montana. The precipitation will not be heavy or prolonged, but a light glaze of ice could create very slippery conditions. Temperatures will slowly warm through the day, rising above the freezing point by the afternoon for most towns. Thursday will be a blustery, partly cloudy and warmer day with highs in the 40s to around 50. Afterward, the weather across the state will begin to diverge. High pressure will develop for Friday through the weekend. While most locations will have a very sunny weekend, temperatures will be quite different. Prairie locations will have downsloping wind that will warm temperatures up into the 40s and 50s. However, the valleys of western Montana will develop inversions trapping cold air, moisture and even pollution. Highs in the valleys will hold in the low 30s through the weekend into next week. Much of the middle of January will be mild and quiet, a big difference from last year.
Have a great day.
Curtis Grevenitz
