BOZEMAN – The 24 hour temperature change from 6 am Monday to 6 am Tuesday was incredible. Monday morning lows, as reported, -5° to -20° below zero. Tuesday morning lows in the teens and 20s above zero. That was a 25 to 40° change.
High pressure will continue to slowly build in from the West and as the ridge gains strength very little to no active weather across Montana. A few weak disturbances could clip the northern half of the state with a few passing showers or flurries but southern and SW Montana will remain on the dry side.
Temperatures will slowly moderate through the rest of the week into the upcoming weekend. There are some exceptions. Valley inversions under a ridge pattern and snow on the ground could hold temperatures down compared to those valleys with no inversions.
West of the divide suffers from such inversions especially during the winter months. This can trap air pollutants close to the ground. The National Weather Service did issue an Air Stagnation Advisory through Thursday for far western and NW counties.
Downsloping wind gusts along the Rocky mountain front from Helena up to east Glacier is also developing with this pattern change and that could produce areas of blowing snow it will also produce much warmer temperatures.
