A WINTER STORM WARNING has been issued for the Pryor and Bighorn Mountains through noon today.
A HIGH WIND WATCH has been issued for Areas east of the Continental Divide and along the immediate Rocky Mountain Front through Tuesday.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has been issued for southeast Montana through noon today.
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The day is finally upon us. A partial solar eclipse will dim our sky ever so slightly starting around 11:39 AM. Solar Eclipse glasses or other indirect viewing methods are needed to observe this particular eclipse. Most of eastern Montana will be overcast, as well as mostly cloudy skies in the mountain west. We did, however, luck out in Helena and a majority of the north central plains with partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies. The maximum coverage will be at 12:40pm for Helena.
For those who were hoping for a total solar eclipse, fret not, as the next "Great American Eclipse" will have a path of totality over the state of Montana! You will just have to wait until 2044. There will be several more partial eclipses between now and then.
Along with the Eclipse, we have a chance at some gusty wind in the Helena area today and tomorrow. A high wind warning has been issued for the Rocky Mountain Front and East Glacier for gusts up to 80 MPH in some isolated locations. I don't think it will get that intense in Helena, but it for sure will be breezy over the next couple days, including while we are viewing the eclipse. Travel can be dangerous with crosswind coming off the mountains.
A brief disturbance will make its way through Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. This is what is causing our high winds. It will bring scattered instances of showers, with the possibility of a few flurries tomorrow morning.
The end of the week will be warm and mostly dry. Temperatures across across the state can meet or exceed 70 degrees on Friday. Partly to mostly cloudy skies will stick around for the rest of the week.
There's a chance of some showers over the weekend ahead of the next major system early on next week.
Helena Temperature Records Today:
High: 80° (2022)
Low: 10° (1982)
AVG: 55/31
Great Falls Temperature Records Today:
High: 79° (1996)
Low: 4° (1982)
AVG: 53/29
Happy eclipse chasing!
Joey Biancone
Meteorologist
Facebook: Meteorologist Joey Biancone
Instagram: joeybianconewx
