A HIGH WIND WARNING has been issued for the Rocky Mountain Front, the Continental Divide and parts of central Montana through Saturday midday.
An AVALANCHE WARNING has been issued for the mountains of northwest Montana into Saturday.
It's the final day of Winter and in a fitting way, the weather was warm and windy with several places setting new record highs. Friday is the first official day of Spring and will be even warmer than Thursday with more record highs and one or two towns in southern Montana could even hit 80. The strong wind will continue, and it's been fierce around the East Glacier area with many trees down, roads closed, and a semi flipped over. Recent warm temperatures have made the ground soft, with trees more susceptible to strong gusts. There also have been a few wildfires with the warmth, wind and dried grass that has not greened up yet. Please use caution. The Panama Fire down near Cardwell has been estimated at 598 acres and 25% contained with no real growth since Wednesday night. The first day of the new season will be partly to mostly cloudy with highs in the 60s and 70s. The wind will once again be strong for most of the state. The next cold front will come through Montana on Saturday with showers in the lower elevations and a return of some light snow to the mountains. Temperatures will cool into the 40s and 50s through the afternoon. Sunday will be mostly sunny with lighter wind and highs in the 40s and 50s. The next significant storm will come on Wednesday with a lot of wind, colder temperatures, a burst of rain and snow, and a return of snow to the mountains.
A solar storm is likely to hit Earth tonight and Friday night with the chance of the northern lights being out, however, there will be come cloud cover at times.
Thanks for nothing Winter,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
