A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect for parts of Montana for Wednesday.
AN AVALANCHE WARNING is in effect for the western and southern mountains into Wednesday.
A HIGH WIND WATCH has been issued for parts of central and western Montana from Wednesday night into Friday morning.
A powerful, potentially damaging wind will blow across most of Montana for the next few days with gusts possibly nearing 100mph along the Rocky Mountain Front. Elsewhere, gusts could top 60-70mph. This will be a strong wind with the possibility of power outages and tree damage, but this is not like the high wind event back in December. A cold front will move through the state early Wednesday morning. There will be some snow in the mountains but little to no precipitation anywhere else. The wind will increase through the morning, turning into violent gusts through the afternoon and evening. Highs will be in the 40s to around 50. The wind will continue into Thursday. Even stronger wind with gusts up to near 100mph are possible along the Rocky Mountain Front. Thursday will be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the 40s to around 50. Strong wind will continue through Thursday night into Friday. The wind will slowly ease up on Friday as a cold front moves down from Canada into northern Montana. Snow will increase up on the Hi-Line through Friday evening. Some snow is possible in Great Falls and Lewistown, but most of the accumulation through Saturday morning will be up on the Hi-Line and across eastern Montana. Highs on Saturday will range from the 10s and 20s north, to the 40s farther south. Sunday will be a mostly sunny day with highs in the 30s and 40s. Sunday is also March 1st and that's the beginning of Meteorological Spring. Monday and Tuesday will be warmer and sunny with highs in the 50s.
Batten down the hatches,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
