A HIGH WIND WATCH has been issued for the Rocky Mountain Front and the Continental Divide for Friday through Saturday.
A WINTER STORM WARNING has been issued for the lower Clark Fork region for Friday into Sunday.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has been issued for the Glacier area, northwest Montana, and the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains.
There's a lot going on in the weather department with a storm that will bring powerful wind and heavy mountain snow, to a solar storm producing the northern lights. A cannibal coronal mass ejection is a faster and stronger release of radiation from the sun that consumes a weaker, slower one. When this "double" wave reaches Earth, it has the potential to create a strong geomagnetic storm. This incoming solar storm could create vibrant aurora similar to what happened in late April, with the northern lights visible overhead. This storm is expected to begin after midnight on Thursday night. The storm could continue through Friday night. One issue with viewing this latest storm will be cloud cover and moonlight that may impact visibility. Still, it's worth a look up early Friday morning and then again Friday night. The weather activity will start to pick up on Friday with mostly cloudy skies and snow showers in the mountains. Highs will be in the 30s to around 40. A strong low pressure and cold front will slice across the state on Saturday. Snow will fly in the mountains and a burst of snow is possible in the lower elevations along the cold front. Strong wind will also accompany the front with gusts up to 40-50mph. Highs on Saturday will be in the 30s and 40s. Travel conditions will be affected over the mountain passes of western Montana, but also in the lower elevations near the Bitterroot, Flathead and Yaak Valleys. High wind will continue through Saturday night into Sunday. Sunday will be a cloudy day with snow in the mountains and wind across the plains. Temperatures will start to warm some, with readings in the 30s and 40s. Next week will be mostly cloudy, mild and windy. This particular Pacific pattern will continue to deliver heavier precipitation west of the Continental Divide until late in the week. A turn to colder and snowier conditions are likely toward the second weekend of December.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
