A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect until 10pm for the East Glacier area and the Rocky Mountain Front.
A HIGH WIND WATCH has been issued for northeast Montana for Friday.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for eastern Montana for a wintry mix and icy roads.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for around the Little Belt Mountains for up to 5" of additional snow.
While this latest storm has pushed out the arctic air, it has created different layers of temperatures in our atmosphere. Warmer air over colder air near the surface is creating the formation of sleet and light freezing rain. Liquid rain drops that freeze on contact with the surface is called freezing rain. This typically produces some of the worst, icy travel conditions possible. Some places will have very slick roads, other areas will just be wet, and the higher elevations will see several inches of snow. Please use caution traveling tonight and Friday morning. The worst areas for travel will be northeast Montana, the valleys of western Montana like Helena, and the Continental Divide. Areas of freezing rain will continue into Friday morning for northeast Montana. The atmosphere will cool enough for most of the precipitation to be snow showers through Friday morning in central and western areas. Some snow could be heavy in the Little Belt Mountains through Friday morning. Snow showers will come to an end with clearing through Friday afternoon. Highs will be in the 30s to around 40. This weekend will start off quiet with partly cloudy skies and highs in the 30s and 40s on Saturday. Some snow will clip northeast Montana on Saturday. Sunday will begin partly cloudy but clouds will increase with a chance of rain and snow showers late in the evening into the overnight. Highs will be in the 30s and 40s. This next storm will drag a cold front through Sunday night and there will be widespread snow showers Monday. A light accumulation of a couple inches will fall through Monday. High pressure will clear things out for Tuesday before another round of light snow is possible on Wednesday. As of now, nothing looks too severe with regards to snow or cold anytime soon. Toward the beginning of February it's looking much colder with more chances of light snow.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
