THURSDAY, MARCH 5TH: Rain and snow continue for most of the morning over the Helena area. It's certainly a nice change of pace. Watch out for slushy and snowy roads as you travel today.
Some mountain ranges in south-central Montana could be gaining significant snow today, with 1-2 feet possible in the Beartooths.
Helena will see a rain/snow mix in the lower elevation. We are not expecting significant accumulation, but roads could become slick at times.
Afternoon high temperatures will reach the upper 30s and 40s. A few more pop-up rain and snow showers will form with a little instability coming through portions of north-central Montana, also including the Helena area.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6TH: With a smaller disturbance working its way through the state late tomorrow morning and into the afternoon, scattered mountain snow showers will form with very light lower elevation rain. Highs will reach the 40s and low 50s with partly cloudy skies.
Winds will continue to slightly increase in the plains, with gusts around 50 MPH near the Rocky Mountain Front. Winds in Helena will be around 5-15 MPH. Winds in Great Falls will reach around 20-30 MPH. A High Wind Watch goes into effect Friday night for north-central Montana.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7TH: Snow showers move out temporarily, aside from an isolated shower or two on the continental divide, but winds significantly increase. Gusts near the Rocky Mountain Front will approach 70-85 MPH. It will be windy for mostly lower elevations. Winds will push temperatures back up into the 50s and 60s for most.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7TH: Similar to Saturday, widespread gusty winds are expected throughout Big Sky County. Chinook winds will warm most areas into the low 60s.
A cold front approaching from the north will bring rain and snow back into the state beginning Sunday night.
LONG-RANGE FORECAST: We are looking at another period of scattered rain and snow early next week. A moist flow looks to continue for most of the week, with near-normal to slightly below normal temperatures expected.
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WEATHER ALERTS:
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Helena Temperature Records Today:
High: 73 (1987)
Low: -27 (2019)
AVG: 43/21
Great Falls Temperature Records Today:
High: 74 (1987)
Low: -22 (1947)
AVG: 42/18
