A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has been issued for central and western Montana on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
As if this November has not been cold enough, another shot of arctic air along with light snow will sweep across the state on Wednesday. Subzero temperatures are likely for a lot of the state by Thursday morning with a really cold day on Thursday. However, this cold air will moderate through the weekend and next week will be relatively mild heading into Thanksgiving. The arctic front will head into the state through Wednesday, around midday up north and it will drop south through the afternoon and evening. Skies will be mostly cloudy to start with some snow developing along the front. The accumulation does not look that heavy, with a possible 1-3" in the lower elevations and as much as 6" in the mountains. Most of the snow will fall through the afternoon and the evening, when the temperatures start falling from the 20s and 30s to the 10s and 0s. Arctic high pressure will move in through the night, pushing the snow out by morning. Thursday will start out with temperatures in the -0s and 0s, with highs generally between 5 and 15 above zero. Wind chill values may be as cold as -20 to -30, especially across eastern Montana where the wind will be stronger. This arctic airmass does not appear to linger for a long period, rather it will start to modify on Friday. A chinook wind will develop and push the cold air out. Some blowing snow may be an issue over the mountain passes and across the plains. Highs will be near 20 in the valleys and mountains on Friday, but the plains will warm up closer to 30 under mostly sunny skies. This weekend will be mostly sunny with moderating temperatures into the 20s and 30s for most areas. A strong wind will blow across the plains and passes. Monday will be partly to mostly cloudy and temperatures will rise into the 30s and 40s, almost average. Next week is Thanksgiving, and right now there does not appear to be any large storm that would affect travelers at the beginning of the holiday here in Montana. Temperatures look close to average but there will be a pretty strong wind over the plains and along the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountain Front.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
