BOZEMAN – A powerful Canadian cold front is just beginning to move into NW Montana at 1 pm Tuesday with snow and wind. This cold front will roll over Montana tonight into Wednesday.
Ahead of the front look for increasing valley rain through about 10 pm tonight and turning abruptly over to snow overnight. Wet roads will become extremely icy by Wednesday morning as temperatures drop off into the teens and 20s. That is cold enough to flash freeze wet roadways.
Snow will be moderate to heavy at times overnight both for valley floors and over mountain passes. Gusty surface winds 20 to 40 mph will produce considerable areas of blowing snow and hazardous visibility.
This is a dangerous storm and travel is not recommended Wednesday!
WINTER STORM WARNING
The National Weather Service continues Winter Storm Warnings for SW Montana from 3 pm Tuesday to midnight Wednesday. New Winter Storm Warnings were issued for Southcentral Montana including the Billings area from midnight Tuesday through noon Thursday.
NWS forecast for valley snow totals are around 3”-8” in SW Montana with most mountain ranges picking up 8”-16” of snow.
Wind gusts over 40 mph are possible. This will produce areas of blowing snow and reduced visibility and could produce wind chill (feels like) temperatures below zero at times.
Power outages are possible with snow loading of trees can topple on top of powerlines.
Updates on this storm are coming up tonight at 5:30 pm and 10 pm with Chief Meteorologist Mike Heard on KXLF and KBZK.
