No this forecast is not an April Fool's joke. Snow is making a re-appearance right as we kick off April here in Montana. A short-lived ridge of high pressure will make for fair weather today. It will not last long. On Saturday, a shortwave trough of low pressure will traverse the Pacific Northwest and enter the Northern Rockies. Plenty of forcing for ascent will be conducive to graupel and isolated thunder on Saturday afternoon, especially across northwest Montana. Other impacts for Saturday will be strong, gusty westerly or northwesterly winds. Ridgetops will see gusts of 30 to 40 mph. The lower elevations will also see gusty winds of 20 to 30 mph. Furthermore, temperatures will be cold enough to support snow in the higher terrain. While road temperatures will start out warm, impacts for the lower elevations will be minimal. However, expect a couple inches of snow on mountain passes resulting in slushy driving conditions. After a quick break from unsettled weather on Sunday, the Monday through Tuesday period will bring a second round of windy, wet weather to the Northern Rockies. A particularly strong upper level jet streak will bring high winds and mountain snow on Monday afternoon through Tuesday. There is high probability for wind gusts to exceed 40 mph, with gusts to 50 mph certainly possible, from Highway 93 east to the Continental Divide. Impacts will include downed trees, power outages, strong cross winds, and choppy waters on area lakes. Interstate 90 from Homestake Pass to Drummond will be of particular concern to high profile vehicles. By Tuesday morning, snow accumulation on mountain passes will also be a concern. Thank you for trusting #StormTrackerWeather and as always:
A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.
Be nice to each other.
- Trey Tonnessen -
