A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has been issued parts of northern Montana into Christmas morning.
A DENSE FOG ADVISORY is in effect through Christmas Eve for most of northern Montana.
Santa will certainly need Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer to deliver presents, but Christmas Day will be pleasant and mild. It does not look like many places in the lower elevations will have a white Christmas, but there will be some freezing rain and ice instead. After dark on Christmas Eve into Christmas morning, an area of light rain, some freezing rain, and some snow will move through the state. When you wake up on Christmas Day there may be a coating of ice and snow, or just wet ground. Areas of north-central Montana could have a light accumulation of ice making it very, very slippery. Please be careful. After some morning freezing rain, Christmas Day will turn partly cloudy with mild temperatures in the 30s and 40s and even a few 50s. Friday will be mild and mostly cloudy but a strong cold front will dive south from Canada through Friday night into Saturday morning. A period of snow will accompany the front along with colder temperatures. Saturday will turn partly cloudy with highs in the 0s and 10s north, 20s and 30s south. High pressure will move in on Sunday with mostly sunny skies. At this time, the valleys will likely form inversions and be colder and calm. The plains will see warmer temperatures with stronger wind. This pattern should continue through the beginning of the week.
Merry Christmas,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
