Showers will linger today on the tails of a departing trough of low pressure. Temperatures will be cold enough for snow in the higher terrain. The peaks of the Missions, Swan, and Flathead ranges, as well as the peaks of Glacier Park, will pick up a few inches. Travelers on mountain passes will experience a dusting to an inch of snow which could create isolated slick spots on roadways. Gusty westerly winds persist throughout today behind a cold front. A short-lived ridge builds over the Northern Rockies on Friday before another fast-moving shortwave trough arrives on Saturday. This system will bring a cold front with it, which means gusty westerly winds of 30 to 40 mph. Travelers on I-90 from Homestake Pass through Drummond should be prepared for strong crosswinds. Like today, snow on Saturday will be a mountain event, bringing a few inches to most ranges across the Northern Rockies, and one to three inches on Lookout, Lolo, Lost Trail, and Marias Passes. Strong winds will keep any precipitation to a minimum in the lower elevations. A short-lived ridge of high pressure will build over the Northern Rockies on Sunday. By later on Monday, upper level flow is pinched between a trough of low pressure with its axis along the west coast of Canada and high pressure over the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. These accelerated upper level winds nose into the Northern Rockies by Monday afternoon. An unstable atmosphere will allow for strong westerly winds to descend from the upper levels of the atmosphere to the surface. Tuesday will be the windier day. Damaging winds will be likely, with impacts including power outages, downed trees, and strong crosswinds across roads. The winds will be accompanied by precipitation, starting as rain on Monday and transitioning to snow by later on Tuesday. Thank you for trusting #StormTrackerWeather and as always: A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition!
Be nice to each other.
- Trey Tonnessen -
