A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect for the Rocky Mountain Front and north-central MT until 8 pm.
A RED FLAG WARNING has been issued for east Beaverhead until 6 pm.
A WINTER STORM WATCH has been issued for the Rocky Mountain Front and north-central Montana starting Saturday until Monday morning.
Today will be the windiest day of the week. Central and north-central Montana should expect the wind to gusts up to 60mph at times, and along the immediate eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountain Front, the wind can gust up to 85 mph at times. Strong winds could blow down trees and leave power outages. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for east Beaverhead; the combination of low humidity and gusty wind will create critical fire weather conditions; if a fire were to ignite, it would spread rapidly. The wind will slightly subside during the evening, and the temperatures will climb to the upper 60s and low 70s. Another day of record high temperatures is not out of the question. A few showers will fall primarily over the Divide and may spill into areas along the Hi-Line.
Tomorrow the clouds will increase, and the high temperatures will cool to the 50s and low 60s. The wind will blow comfortably, and a wintry mix will fall in portions of northwest Montana.
Saturday morning will be the calm before the storm; the highs will top out in the 40s and 50s. A mix of rain/snow will fall; next, the temperatures will drop below freezing, and rain showers will transition into snow. The snow will fall heavy at times through the overnight hours into Sunday.
Sunday, the snow is expected to continue to fall throughout the day and can be heavy at times. The Rocky Mountain Front could see between 1-2 FEET, and the plains of north-central Montana could get between 10-20." The high temperatures for a large portion of the state will stay below freezing. The wind is expected to pick up, and when factoring in the falling snow, that will create hazardous road conditions. Blowing and drifting snow will reduce visibility, so please take it slow or just don't' go!
Please use the next couple of days to prepare for the storm, and make sure your vehicle is equipped with a winter survival kit.
Have a great day.
A.R.😊
