A WINTER STORM WARNING has been issued for the Yellowstone area.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has been issued for the mountains of southwest Montana including Monida Pass.
The first weekend of March was rather snowy and cold across the state but the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains got pummeled with feet of snow. Some locations like Great Falls and Chinook had daily record snowfalls on Saturday. Temperatures were also some 20 to 30 degrees below normal with overnight lows dropping into the -10s. The cold air will stick around for another few days with more snow moving through parts of the state. An area of low pressure will move across southern Montana and northern Wyoming on Tuesday. Snow will fly along I-90 with less snow to the north. Helena may have a little light snow in the morning. Skies will become partly cloudy by midday, but more snow showers will pop over the mountains in the afternoon. A few inches could accumulate closer to I-90, and a few inches may accumulate in the mountains along the Continental Divide and the Little Belt, Big Belt, and Big Snowy ranges. Highs will be in the 10s and 20s north, with 20s and 30s for southern Montana. Wednesday will be partly cloudy with scattered snow showers over the mountains through the afternoon. Highs will be in the 20s and 30s. Thursday will still have below average temperatures in the 20s and 30s with isolated mountain snow showers. Some changes will start being felt on Friday as skies will be mostly sunny and highs will warm into the 30s to around 40. A stronger southwest wind will develop along the Rocky Mountain Front. This weekend will be warmer and windy as a ridge of high pressure builds over the West. Saturday will be mostly sunny to partly cloudy with highs in the 40s to around 50. A strong wind will blow over the Continental Divide and out across the plains. Sunday will be partly cloudy with temperatures reaching the 40s and 50s. Once again the wind will be strong over the Divide and plains. The next storm that will bring a chance of snow will move through the state around Tuesday of next week. Overall the weather will remain typically active for the first half of March which is great news in hopes of adding to the mountain snowpack.
Have a great day.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
