BOZEMAN – A quiet weather pattern Friday afternoon will come to an abrupt end as a pacific cold front rolls through Montana Saturday morning.
Snow is likely with this front but because it’s moving through rapidly, snow will likely impact mountains vs valleys. There could be a rain/snow mix with this storm Saturday morning and a slight chance for pockets of freezing rain. Snow accumulations should be on the light side for most mountains and passes but enough snow to produce wet roads that could turn icy.
The biggest weather hazards this weekend will be damaging wind gusts. There are numerous wind highlights up both west and east of the divide Saturday into Sunday.
High wind prone areas could see gusts between 50 to 60 mph in SW Montana.
WIND HIGHLIGHTS
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the Butte-Blackfoot region over into the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys Saturday from 8 am to 11 pm.
Sustained winds 35 to 45 mph are likely with peak gusts over 50 mph. This includes Butte, Anaconda, Deer Lodge and I-90.
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the Upper Yellowstone region in the Livingston area now through 5 am Sunday.
Sustained winds 35 to 45 mph are likely with peak wind gusts at times over 60 mph. Dangerous crosswinds are likely for I-90 in the Livingston area especially for high profile vehicles.
The National Weather Service issued a HIGH WIND WARNING from Kalispell to Miles City Saturday morning through Sunday morning.
Sustained winds 35 to 45 mph are likely and peak wind gusts over 60 mph. This will impact travel on all highways and interstates in the highlighted areas.
