A BLIZZARD WARNING is in effect for the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains.
A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect for most of the state through Tuesday night.
A WINTER STORM WARNING is in effect for the Big Snowy Mountains, the Big Belt Mountains, the Rocky Mountain Front and the East Glacier area.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for Great Falls, Lewistown, the Bear Paw Mountains, the Sweet Grass Hills, and the higher terrain around Helena.
A FLOOD ADVISORY has been issued for parts of north-central Montana.
A FLOOD WATCH has been issued for Clear Creek near Havre and around the Little Rocky Mountains.
Powerful wind has produced damage to trees and buildings, heavy rain is leading to flooding, and heavy snow is causing difficult travel conditions as this storm continues to hit Montana. The wind was so strong it blew part of the roof off of Shelby High School with gusts up to 70mph. A late season BLIZZARD WARNING has been issued for the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains as up to 3 feet of snow could fall and get blown around by wind up to 60mph. There have been reports of very difficult travel already in the higher terrain near the Little Belts, Highwoods, Big Snowies, Judiths, Little Rockies and Bear Paw Mountains. Other areas near the Little Rocky Mountain and the Bear Paw Mountains have had nearly 3 inches of rain leading to flooding. Tuesday night the snow levels will drop to the some of the valleys and plains. A few inches of slushy snow could be on the ground by Wednesday morning. Travel conditions from Lewistown to Great Falls to Helena and up the Rocky Mountain Front will be sloppy and difficult early in the day. Travel will be extremely difficult to impossible around the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains on Wednesday as blizzard conditions continue. Temperatures early in the day will be in the 20s and 30s allowing the snow to stick. By the afternoon, readings will warm up into the 40s in the lower elevations and the snow will mix with and turn to rain. Precipitation intensity will decrease by the afternoon and evening. Between the rain, snow and wind, Wednesday will be a very stormy day with difficult conditions to travel or just be outside. The storm will start pulling away on Thursday with partly cloudy skies and a few showers in the lower elevations, a couple snow showers in the mountains. Highs will warm into the 50s and 60s. The wind will be much lighter, around 5-15mph. Our fortunes will change beginning on Friday with mostly sunny skies and highs in the 60s and 70s. The weekend will be gorgeous with much warmer temperatures in the 70s under mostly sunny skies. A drier and warmer pattern will persist through most of next week. We just need to get through this storm, so please be careful.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
