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Arctic Air Will Retreat Soon

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Posted
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An EXTREME COLD WARNING continues for northern and eastern Montana through Wednesday morning for wind chills down to -50 to -60.
A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY continues for parts of central and southeast Montana through Wednesday morning.
A WINTER STORM WATCH has been issued for the Rocky Mountain Front and East Glacier area for blowing snow Wednesday night through Friday night.

It will be another night of brutal, dangerous cold for most of the state as arctic high pressure builds into the state. Most of the state east of the Continental Divide will have lows well below zero. Eastern Montana and the Hi-Line could have some areas reaching -40. Wind chill values could drop to -50 to -60 on the Hi-Line as well. But over the next few days, the arctic air will slowly retreat and a big warmup is on the way with highs reaching the 40s and 50s. Tuesday night the clouds will clear as arctic high pressure settles over the state. Wind chills will create conditions where frostbite can develop in minutes. Please be careful. Wednesday will start out sunny and cold with clouds advancing through the afternoon. A little light snow is possible across western Montana, reaching as far east as Helena and Great Falls. Accumulation through Wednesday night could be an inch or two. Highs will still be cold in the -0s to the 10s. Slightly warmer air will begin to move in on Thursday with highs reaching the 10s and 20s, some 30s near Great Falls and Cut Bank. Skies will be partly cloudy and the wind will increase off the Rocky Mountain Front. Very strong wind will create ground blizzard conditions at times along the Rocky Mountain Front and East Glacier areas. Strong wind around Great Falls and up on the Continental Divide will create blowing and drifting snow as well. Friday will be partly cloudy with highs in the 20s and 30s. The arctic air will be on full retreat heading into the weekend. This final weekend of February will have a thaw as temperatures warm into the 40s to around 50 for highs. A chinook wind will be strong on the plains and Continental Divide. Warmer air is coming...

Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist