textproduct: Missoula

DISCUSSION

KEY MESSAGES:

- Breezy to windy conditions this afternoon and evening from cold front and thunderstorms

- Mountain snow especially in Glacier NP tonight through Thursday morning

- Frost/Freeze potential Sunday and Monday mornings

A strong cold front will continue to move through the Northern Rockies this afternoon and evening causing breezy to windy conditions. Multiple wind advisories have been issued for the Northern Rockies to take in account the potential impacts from the wind. Ahead of the front, thunderstorms will develop over southwest Montana causing stronger winds aloft to mix to the surface. A few of these storms might have the potential to cause gusts up to 70 mph, so a severe thunderstorm watch box has been issued for the counties with the highest potential.

As the low pressure system moves through the region tonight the bulk of the precipitation will be mainly confined to northwest Montana. Snow levels will be dropping to around 5000 feet tonight so the higher terrain should anticipate snow accumulation by Thursday morning. The heaviest snow appears to be across Glacier National Park where 8 to 12 inches of new snow should be expected for the higher terrain. The combination of wind and snow will create raw and blustery conditions for any outdoor recreationalists, so a winter weather advisory was issued.

Another colder low pressure system is expected to move over the Northern Rockies this weekend causing widespread precipitation. The cold air associated with this system has the potential to cause minimum temperatures to drop to around or below freezing by Sunday and Monday mornings, mainly for western Montana and Lemhi county. This cold air will also cause snow levels to drop to around 4000 feet by Sunday morning, so higher elevation valleys of western Montana could have some light snow accumulations.

AVIATION

A strong cold front will continue to push across the Northern Rockies bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms along with gusty westerly winds. The strongest storms and winds are expected across southwest Montana and Lemhi county this afternoon, potentially impacting KSMN and KBTM. The low pressure system moves into the area tonight causing steady precipitation across northwest Montana while snow levels drop to around 5000 feet.

MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MT...Wind Advisory until midnight MDT tonight for Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains...Butte/Blackfoot Region...Flathead/Mission Valleys...Kootenai/Cabinet Region...Lower Clark Fork Region...Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys...Potomac/Seeley Lake Region...West Glacier Region.

Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 3 PM MDT Thursday for West Glacier Region.

Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Deerlodge/West Beaverhead...East Beaverhead.

ID...Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for Eastern Lemhi County.