A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for the East Glacier area, the Big Belt Mountains including Deep Creek Pass, and the Bridger Mountains including Bozeman Pass.
It's Groundhog Day on Thursday and any groundhog in Montana may not see its shadow with a lot of cloud cover. The old superstition is if the groundhog comes out of its hole and sees its shadow because of clear conditions, it will be frightened by the shadow and return to its hole for another 6 more weeks of winter. If the groundhog does NOT see a shadow, spring will come early. Wind and warmer air are moving through a lot of Montana, but the wind is creating problems for some areas. Blowing and drifting snow near East Glacier and around Deep Creek Pass and Bozeman pass have created difficult driving conditions. Travelers in these locations should watch for snow over the roads, reduced visibility and narrowed driving lanes. Interstate 90 over the Bozeman Pass is now reopened after being shut down for several hours because of the strong wind. Besides the pesky wind, temperatures have warmed up into the 20s and 30s for most areas. However, a cold front with some snow will clip north-central and northeast Montana Wednesday night into Thursday morning with colder temperatures back in the 0s and 10s but the rest of the state will not be impacted as Thursday's highs elsewhere will be in the 30s and 40s. A weak storm will move through on Friday with a few snow showers, mainly in the mountains. Highs again will be in the 30s and 40s with a strong wind across the plains. This weekend will be fairly quiet besides the howling wind. Saturday will be partly cloudy with highs in the 30s and 40s and even a few 50s across the plains. Sunday will be mostly cloudy, windy with snow showers mainly in western Montana and over the mountains. Snow accumulation should be limited to the mountains and southwest Montana. The next chance for snow in the lower elevations will come Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Until then, it will be mild and rather windy.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
