392
FXUS65 KTFX 100903
AFDTFX

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

.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...

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...
10/10Z TAF Period

Isolated showers and thunderstorms will continue to dissipate
through 09z Thursday along and southeast of a KHLN to KLWT line,
but not impacts to terminals are expected. Smoke/haze from
wildfires burning across the Pacific Northwest and Southwest
Canada will move east and over North Central Montana ahead of the
next upper level disturbance, impacting the KCTB and KHVR
terminals through the early morning hours on Thursday. 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
Thursday as a re-enforcing cold front pushes southeast from
Alberta. This front will bring increasing winds and a shift to
more of the northwest, along with 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