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000
FXUS65 KMSO 040835
AFDMSO

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
235 AM MDT Sat Apr 4 2020

.DISCUSSION...Showers continue to linger early this morning,
which continue to cause snow accumulations, so winter weather
advisories remain in effect until 6 am. Weak high pressure is
beginning to build into north-central Idaho and western Montana
and is expected to be over the region through the afternoon. The
atmosphere will be much more stable than the previous few days, so
there will only be a few showers today, mainly in the terrain and
in northwest Montana. Cloud cover will likely linger through the
day, but periods of sunshine are also possible.

Model guidance is beginning to key in on a disturbance splitting
off from the low-pressure system off the west coast of Oregon and
northern California and moving into north-central Idaho this
evening and western Montana overnight. Valley rain, or rain
changing to snow, and mountain snow are expected with the
disturbance in southwesterly flow. Lookout and Lolo passes are
most likely to have impacts from snow tonight, but northwest
Montana may also have light snow, possibly even in the valleys
during Sunday morning.

High pressure will slowly return to the region early this week as
the low off the west coast slowly moves southward. Disturbances
are forecast to eject from the low which will probably cause some
of the area to see showers, but overall the weather pattern looks
warmer and drier than last week.

Extended models continue to show a cooler and wetter pattern
returning by next weekend; this may mean a return of mountain
snow.

&&

.AVIATION...High pressure is slowly building into the region, but
an exiting weather disturbance is lingering and continues to
cause showers. Nighttime satellite loops show lowered cloud bases
that are obscuring terrain. Low cloud cover and fog are also
showing up in northwest Montana, and model soundings show fog
remaining through around 04/1600z. Cloud cover is forecast to
break up some today but any clearing will be brief due to cumulus
buildups with daytime heating, some of which will become showers.
The next weather system will quickly arrive from the southwest
this evening, causing showers overnight.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT early this morning
     Butte/Blackfoot Region.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT early this morning Lower
     Clark Fork Region.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT early this morning
     Flathead/Mission Valleys.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT early this morning
     Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.

ID...None.
&&

$$