A WINTER STORM WARNING has been issued for Monday for Cascade and Judith Basin Counties.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has been issued for Monday into Tuesday for much of central and western Montana.
A major storm with snow, wind and record cold will hit the state early this week. A cold front will blast through Montana on Monday morning. Snow will develop early with temperatures falling out of the 10s and 20s, dropping down into the 0s and 10s by afternoon. North wind will gust up to 30-35mph. Wind chill values will become dangerously cold, as low as -35 late Monday into Tuesday morning. Blowing snow will reduce visibility and make travel very difficult. Please have a winter survival kit in your vehicle if you are traveling in this storm. Areas of snow will continue through Monday night into Tuesday morning. Record cold is likely as temperatures by Tuesday morning will be down in the single digits above and below zero. Wind chill values will range from -10 to -35 through Monday night into Tuesday. Clearing will gradually take place through Tuesday afternoon but temperatures will remain bitterly cold for October, as highs stay in the 0s and 10s for most of Montana. Tuesday night could have more record cold with lows dropping below zero for many areas. High pressure will move in on Wednesday with clear skies, but blowing snow will be problematic off of the Rocky Mountain Front. Halloween on Thursday will be slightly warmer with highs in the 30s to around 40 and a few snow showers will fly in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will modify into the 40s for this weekend.
Tune into Daybreak on Monday morning at 6am for the latest forecast as the storm arrives. I'll have updates at 5, 6 and 10pm.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
