January Thaw Will Last Most of the Month

Happy New Year! It's a new year and Montana is in a much different weather pattern than the final two months of 2022. Overall much of the state is mild and quiet and this pattern should last for most if not all of January. So this year's "January Thaw" could last the entire month. A ridge of high pressure will persist over the northern Rockies and southwestern Canada. The storm track will be farther to our south and to the north of the state. Temperatures will be quite moderate and little to no snow will fall. Montana, we get a break from the harsh winter conditions that persisted through November and most of December. Let's start with Tuesday being mostly sunny with some dense morning fog up in northest Montana. Highs will range from the 10s out the Hi-Line, to the 30s across the plains of central Montana, to the 20s in the western valleys including Helena. Wednesday will be similar with moderate to mild conditions across the state and mostly sunny skies. A storm system moving in from the Pacific will spread some clouds across the state on Thursday but most areas will not see any precipitation. Highs will be in the 30s. The first weekend of 2023 will be quiet with partly to mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 30s and 40s for highs. The weather pattern will continue through most of next week as well. Some minor changes are possible around Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend with a chance at a little snow. Overall, this weather pattern should last into the end of January or the beginning of February. After that, more severe winter conditions are likely to return.
Enjoy!
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist