textproduct: Missoula
This forecast discussion was created in the public domain by the National Weather Service. It can be found in its original form here.
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- Unseasonable warmth through the rest of the week
- Cold front Friday brings widespread gusty winds, transitioning to a much cooler, breezy, and showery weekend.
Above-normal temperatures and dry conditions will persist today into Thursday under southwesterly flow aloft. On Friday, a trough of low pressure will dig south along the West Coast, then move inland across the Northern Rockies. A cold front associated with the trough will pass through the Northern Rockies on Friday afternoon through Saturday morning, bringing a sharp decrease in temperatures for Saturday and strong winds with the frontal passage. Some concerns with this system will be the strong winds creating choppy conditions on area lakes, an increase in fire weather concerns (also due to strong winds), and freezing overnight low temperatures starting on Sunday morning for some higher elevation communities.
The weekend system will also bring precipitation with it. Guidance continues to favor a more northerly track for the low, focusing the most widespread rainfall across northwest Montana and the Idaho Panhandle. Snow levels lower to around 6,000 feet near the center of the low's track, introducing winter- like backcountry impacts to the higher terrain, particularly Glacier National Park. Seasonably cool temperatures will follow, bringing clearing skies and frosty mornings early next week.
AVIATION
VFR conditions and light winds will prevail across the Northern Rockies airspace today. Some exceptions will be lingering cloud cover for KHRF, KSMN, and KBTM from moisture that arrived on Wednesday. Another exception will be chances for fog at KGPI early this morning. Narrow dew point depressions, calm winds, and clear skies certainly suggest another round of decreased visibility will develop again this morning. Timing for fog at KGPI has been starting at about 1200Z and lasting through about 1300-1400Z, expect that trend to continue this morning.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...None. ID...None.
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