Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Missoula, MT

Home | Current Version | Previous Version | Text Only | Print | Product List | Glossary On
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
000
FXUS65 KMSO 240851
AFDMSO

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
251 AM MDT Sun Mar 24 2024

.DISCUSSION...Snow showers will persist across western Montana
this morning. An upper wave will move across the region this
afternoon and evening and will bring periods of snow for the
mountains, particularly impacting the passes Lookout, Lolo and
Lost Trail. Between 1 and 3 inches of snow are possible through
tonight. A few valley locations may pick up an inch or less with
some slush accumulation on the roads. There could be an isolated
thunderstorm in the vicinity of the Camas Prairie, Idaho this
afternoon. High temperatures today will be around 10 to 13 degrees
below average for this time of year. There will be some decent
clearing across northwest Montana and along the Divide into the
Glacier Regions where low temperatures will fall into the teens
and single digits by Monday morning.

Showers will persist across the region both Monday and Tuesday
with below average temperatures. There may be occasional snow
showers at the mountain passes along the Idaho/Montana border with
a couple of inches of snow possible.

On Wednesday the next weather system will bring showers to north-
central Idaho by the morning and milder conditions to western
Montana. The cold front will lower snow levels Wednesday night or
Thursday to around 4000 feet and bring another round of mountain
snow. Right now the NBM has a range of snowfall between 2 to 5
inches from Lookout to Lost Trail Pass.

With unstable and weak cyclonic flow continuing later in the week,
showers and near seasonable temperatures are expected.

Ensemble model guidance seem to agree with a larger upper trough
diving south towards California and Nevada next weekend. But they
are not as clear what will transpire over the Northern Rockies. In
this kind of setup during the spring months, we could be under a
weak trough with unsettled weather or a ridge of high pressure
could build and bring a drier and milder pattern for us.


&&

.AVIATION...Lingering snow showers with lower ceilings and
visibility are expected this morning across the Northern Rockies.
An upper wave will bring another round of showers across north-
central Idaho into southwest Montana this afternoon and evening.
An easterly wind/pressure gradient will continue through Monday
morning with channeled areas experiencing the gustier winds.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Weather Advisory until noon MDT today for Butte/Blackfoot
     Region...Flathead/Mission Valleys...Potomac/Seeley Lake
     Region...West Glacier Region.

ID...None.
&&

$$


USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.