BOZEMAN – A blast of winterlike weather is here! Widespread valley rain and higher mountain snow is impacting most of Montana on this Labor Day. A strong Canadian cold front is slowly dropping southward and should exit the state after midnight Monday.
Temperatures will remain unseasonably chilly for early September and morning lows Tuesday will fall below freezing for lower valleys and possibly into the teens for higher valleys.
Welcomed wet weather is helping to ease fire danger conditions and slow current fires down today but the longer range forecast will bring more warm and dry conditions and a return of higher fire danger later this week into the upcoming weekend.
The National Weather Service continues the WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for SW Montana above 6,000’ through midnight Monday. Snow accumulations of 1”-4” is possible with locally higher amounts possible.
Watch for slushy roads and wet roads over mountain passes to turn icy overnight into Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued a WINTER STORM WARNING for the Absaroka/Beartooth wilderness areas near Gardiner and Cooke City through noon Tuesday.
Snow accumulations of 10”-15” is possible with higher amounts on NW facing slopes. Wind gusts over 40 mph are also likely producing cold, wet, and windy conditions in the backcountry.
East of the divide will likely see higher total rainfall amounts through midnight in SW Montana. This is great news since two of the largest wildfires in our area are east of the divide.
Beginning tomorrow the weather pattern will begin to dry out and it looks like a mostly dry weather pattern for the rest of the week and upcoming weekend with a gradual warming trend and possible 80 degree days by the weekend.
