A WIND CHILL ADVISORY is in effect for most of Montana tonight through Wednesday into Thursday morning.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for most of southern Montana into Wednesday.
An unusually cold, arctic airmass has moved into Montana. Average highs for this time of year are in the low to mid 40s. Most of the state was running 30 degrees below normal on Tuesday. Tuesday night's temperatures will fall to near zero or below zero for most of the state. Combine these cold temperatures with a moderate wind and wind chill values will drop to between -15 and -30 overnight. Frostbite could develop in as little as 10 minutes in these conditions. Wednesday will be very cold with highs in the 0s and 10s, continuing to be nearly 30 degrees below normal for this time in March. Some snow showers will continue to move through western and central Montana. Wednesday night will be another cold night with a lot of the state dropping below zero
again. The coldest temperatures will likely be across northeast Montana and in the mountain valleys of southwest Montana. Another quick hitting front will push across the state on Thursday with a few snow showers and wind. Wind chills still could be well below 0 through the morning. Blowing snow will be an issue, certainly over the plains and in the mountains. Highs on Thursday will mainly reach the 20s to about 30. Friday will be mostly cloudy and windy with temperatures getting closer to normal. Some snow showers will fly over the mountains. Saturday will be mostly cloudy, windy and much warmer. The plains and valleys could warm up into the 50s. Another low pressure will likely move through the state with wet snow or a mix of rain and snow on Sunday. Several more inches will accumulate in the mountains. More active weather will continue next week. While there may not be a ton of snow in the lower elevations, the mountains will certainly receive a boost in the mountain snowpack which is beneficial to us all.
Stay safe and warm out there!
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
