textproduct: Great Falls

KEY MESSAGES

- Short lived warmth this weekend, then trending cooler and unsettled for next week. - Mountain snow/lower elevation rain expected Sunday and Monday. - Second system arrives Thursday and Friday, bringing another round of lower elevation rain/mountain snow to the area.

DISCUSSION

/Issued 245 PM MDT Sat Mar 28 2026/

Weak upper level ridging over the Western US has brought a return to warmer, albeit cloudy, weather to the Treasure State, at least temporarily. Clouds will continue to increase through the day today and overnight tonight as our next weather system approaches, with snow beginning to fall over the Continental Divide tomorrow afternoon before precipitation spreads eastward Sunday evening. Expect most of the precipitation from this system to be light, with the only areas susceptible to more impactful amounts being over Kings Hill Pass (where 2-4 inches of snow are expected) and over Marias Pass (where 6-10 inches of snow are expected).

This system will clear the area late Monday and Tuesday, which will allow warmth to return to the area for Wednesday as temperatures soar back into the mid 50s to low 60s. The return of above average temperatures will not last long, however, as yet another (though likely stronger) upper level trough will push into the area Wednesday night and into Thursday, bringing another round of cooler temperatures and another chance for widespread mountain snow and lower elevation rain. Behind this system, northwesterly flow aloft will keep us a bit cooler and generally cloudy with some higher terrain snowfall. Ludwig

AVIATION

29/00Z TAF Period.

VFR conditions generally prevail for most locations; however, a weak Canadian cold front will move through the plains tonight into Sunday morning and bring scattered to broken MVFR/IFR/LIFR stratus and even some patchy fog to the Hi-Line terminals, mostly between 29/09 and 29/18Z. KGTF may briefly be on the southern extent of this area of clouds, but maintained VFR conditions for now with less than a 50% chance for degraded conditions. Winds decrease for all areas this evening and become more northerly over the plains late tonight and Sunday morning. Gusty west to southwesterly winds return for most locations after 29/18Z. - RCG

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

GTF 34 59 37 45 / 0 20 40 40 CTB 22 51 24 34 / 0 10 20 40 HLN 35 63 34 46 / 0 10 50 50 BZN 34 68 37 51 / 10 10 30 70 WYS 27 57 34 50 / 0 10 10 70 DLN 35 65 40 53 / 0 0 10 30 HVR 27 51 32 44 / 0 10 50 20 LWT 34 56 32 42 / 10 20 70 70

TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.