237
FXUS65 KTFX 101105
AFDTFX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
505 AM MDT Thu Jul 10 2025

Aviation Section Updated.

.KEY MESSAGES...

 - Cold front moves through today bringing cooler temperatures,
   gusty winds, and a chance for rain.

 - Widespread wind gusts of 20-30 mph are possible with the
   strongest winds expected along the Rocky Mountain Front and
   along north-south oriented valleys.

 - The middle of next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
/Issued 303 AM MDT Thu Jul 10 2025/

A strong shortwave trough will pass through Montana today and
tomorrow bringing much cooler temperatures, gusty winds, and a
chance for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms
particularly across north-central Montana. Surface winds will
shift from out of the west this morning to out of the northwest by
the early afternoon before becoming northerly by the late
afternoon/early evening. Widespread gusts up to 35 mph are
expected with some isolated higher gusts possible, particularly
along the Rocky Mountain Front and north-south oriented valleys.

Behind the trough, northwest flow sets up Saturday into Sunday
allowing for warmer temperatures to return to the region with
periods of showers and thunderstorms possible across the region.
Another shortwave starts to make its way down from British
Columbia Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning bringing cooler
temperatures towards the middle part of the week with a chance for
more widespread rain across the region.  -thor


&&

.AVIATION...
10/12Z TAF Period

Smoke/haze from wildfires burning across the Pacific Northwest
and Southwest Canada will spread east and over North Central
Montana ahead of the next upper level disturbance, impacting the
KCTB, KHVR, and KGTF terminals through the morning hours today.
Main impact from this smoke/haze will be reductions in slantwise
visibility upon ascent/descent. Otherwise, showers and
thunderstorms will begin to overspread North Central and Central
Montana beyond 18z this afternoon as a re-enforcing cold front
pushes southeast from Alberta. The aforementioned front will also
bring increasing winds and a shift to more of the northwest, and
an increase in mid-level cloud cover. Mountain obscuration will
begin to increase beyond 18z Thursday from northwest to southeast.
- Moldan

Refer to weather.gov/zlc for more detailed regional aviation
weather and hazard information.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GTF  86  47  79  53 /  10  20   0   0
CTB  75  42  78  50 /  40  20   0   0
HLN  87  51  82  54 /  10  10   0   0
BZN  90  49  81  48 /   0  20  10   0
WYS  79  42  74  37 /  10  20  20   0
DLN  83  47  78  47 /   0  10   0   0
HVR  85  47  80  52 /  20  20   0   0
LWT  83  44  73  50 /  10  20   0   0

&&

.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

$$
http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls