A WIND CHILL ADVISORY continues for most of the state into Friday.
It's been a tough day to be outside. With wind chills between -20 and -45 for most of the state, frost bite can occur in as little as 15-30 minutes. If you venture out, make sure to have most of your skin, hands and face covered. Check on your pets and check on your neighbors because we are not out of the woods yet. Arctic air, wind, light snow and cloud cover will continue into Friday. If travelling, make sure to have winter survival gear. Areas of light snow will continue on Thursday with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the -0s to 0s, lows in the -10 to -20 range. Wind chill values will again be between -20 to -45. Thursday night into Friday morning will have continued cold and dangerous wind chill values but changes will be seen and felt. Friday will be mostly sunny with some warmer air beginning to move into southwest and central Montana. Highs there will be in the 10s and 20s but northeast Montana still below 0. Saturday will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny with warmer temperatures in the 20s and 30s as the arctic airmass retreats from the state. Sunday a chinook wind will develop and most of the state will top out in the 30s and 40s with strong wind over the plains and Continental Divide. Some snow showers are likely to return Sunday evening with a cold front, but most accumulation should be limited to the mountains. There is a good chance of light snow for Montana next Tuesday into Wednesday. Temperatures will generally stay below average into the beginning of March with more opportunity for snow.
Stay warm,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
