A HIGH WIND WATCH has been issued for areas off of the Rocky Mountain Front from Thursday evening through all of Friday.
After a beautiful October day with sunshine and highs in the 60s and 70s, changes are afoot. It's too bad the nice weather only lasted a couple of days. Thursday will not be a terrible day, but it won't as nice. A cold front will move through the state in the afternoon. This front will produce more showers and mountain snow west of the Continental Divide but a few showers will move through the Helena area in the afternoon and evening. This front will really increase the winds for much of the state later in the day. Highs will be in the 50s and 60s. Friday will be a chilly, windy day for much of the state. There will be some sun mixed in with the clouds, but highs will only be in the 40s and 50s. The wind will make it feel much cooler, as sustained winds will be between 15-30 with gusts topping 40-50mph. Along the Rocky Mountain Front a few isolated gusts could top 75mph. There will be a few mixed rain/snow showers in the lower elevations with snow showers in the mountains. This weekend will certainly not be sunny and warm. On Saturday a low pressure will bring more steady snow in the southwest part of the state. Some wet snow should push up through the Capital area in the morning. Mountain passes could have a couple inches of accumulation through the afternoon. Anyone planning on recreating in the mountains of western and southern Montana on Saturday will experience snow and cold temperatures. North central and eastern Montana will be mild and dry but still mostly cloudy. Sunday will not offer much more in the way of sunshine as skies remain mostly cloudy. There will be some areas of light snow in the lower elevations with steadier snow in the mountains. Across the plains a few areas of wet snow or mixed rain/snow will move through that part of the state. Highs will be in the 40s for the lower elevations, 20s and 30s in the mountains. An unsettled pattern will continue into next week with a few showers on Monday and Tuesday, but a bigger storm with heavier rain, snow and windy could hit on Wednesday.
Have a nice day!
Curtis Grevenitz
