High Wind Warnings in Effect
High Wind Warnings are in effect for most of western Montana from Midnight Wednesday Night until 6 PM Thursday. Damaging wind gusts over 50 mph and isolated mountain gusts up to 80 mph are expected, prompting officials to advise caution.
The warnings cover several regions including the Kootenai/Cabinet Region, Flathead/Mission Valleys, Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys, Potomac/Seeley Lake Region, Butte/Blackfoot Region, and portions of central, north central, and southwest Montana.
Additional Weather Alerts
High Wind Watches are also in effect for areas such as Livingston, Beartooth Foothills, and several other regions across Montana. In eastern Montana, wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph are anticipated on Thursday, with the storm potentially producing winds up to 95 mph along the Rocky Mountain Front.
A powerful atmospheric river is set to impact the Northern Rockies from late Wednesday through Saturday, bringing not only strong winds but also heavy precipitation. This system is expected to cause significant temperature fluctuations across Montana.
Snow Accumulation Expected
In addition to high winds, the storm could deliver 2-6 inches of wet snow at lower elevations, while the high country above 5,000 feet may see 20-40 inches of snow. In the highest elevations of northwest and west-central Montana, snow accumulation could reach as much as 3-6 feet.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the exact timing and impact of the storm, but residents are urged to prepare for hazardous conditions as the atmospheric river moves from the Pacific straight to Montana and the northern Rockies.
