A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect from the East Glacier area, across the Rocky Mountain Front, out through Cascade and Judith Basin County into Saturday evening.
A HIGH WIND WATCH has been issued for most of the rest of Montana through Saturday evening.
Here comes a stormy stretch that first starts with strong wind and ends with a very wintry feel and look across the state. The first part of this storm system will be wind and heavy mountain precipitation. Gradually there will be colder air working across the state this weekend. By early next week, midwinter-like weather will be felt across the state. Highs will be in the 40s and 50s Friday afternoon but there will be rain and snow that will be heavy at times in the mountains. Most valleys and plains east of the Divide will be very windy, mild and dry. A strong wind will continue Friday night into Saturday with more heavy precipitation in the mountains, and heavy rain in the lower elevations west of the Continental Divide. Saturday a cold front will move across the state with showers of rain and snow in the lower elevations and even a few isolated thunderstorms in the morning, but the mountains will still see heavy snow and wind for most of the day. While highs may reach the 40s to around 50 in the lower elevations, expect falling temperatures through the afternoon and evening as the coldest airmass of the season moves in. The wind will be brutal with most areas seeing gusts in excess of 50mph. Sunday will be cold with highs in the 20s and 30s. There will be a few areas of light snow on Sunday, but nothing like what could come through Monday. A significant snow and serious cold are likely. Lower elevations could see more than 6" and high temperatures may only top out in the 10s and 20s. Overnight lows could drop below 0 for the first time this season. Continued cold with more snow is possible Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures may be as cold as -20 in the coldest locations by Wednesday morning. Some advice: I'd try to get my snow tires on by next week as there will be a longer stretch of snow and cold temperatures that may linger into the middle of November.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
