High Wind Watch | Montana Weather

Good morning! I'm Aaron Jolly. And welcome to the Montana Weather Podcast — it's Monday, February 23rd. Step outside right now and you're at 33 degrees under clear skies. But . Montana's about to split three ways today. And wind is writing the script. Out east, you're the lucky ones. Partly sunny skies push you to 58 degrees by 2 PM — that's nearly 20 degrees warmer than normal for late February. But don't get too comfortable. Winds flip from southwest to northwest around 4 AM. And by dawn it'll feel like 12 degrees even though you're sitting at 22. After 2 AM tonight, a slight chance of rain and snow showers rolls in. Lows hold near 32. Central Montana, you're catching the drama. Winds gust to 29 miles an hour by 2 PM under partly sunny skies, with highs near 54 degrees. Tonight, rain arrives between 8 PM and 4 AM. And lows crash to 16 — feeling more like 4 degrees with that wind. Tomorrow brings more rain and snow showers, highs near 48. Western Montana, buckle up. Rain and snow — sometimes both at once — start around 8 AM and don't quit until 4 AM Tuesday. Peak chance hits 94 percent around 9 PM. Highs today reach just 48 degrees. Winds shift from southeast to west-northwest around 9 AM, making a mess of things. Tomorrow? Same story. Rain and snow likely, lows near 30, highs in the low 40s. The real headline? Wind warnings. Livingston and the Beartooth Foothills could see gusts hit 65 miles an hour through Tuesday morning. The Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains? Winter Storm Warning for 10 to 20 inches of snow by Wednesday, with 60-mile-an-hour gusts. Avalanche danger is climbing. This week stays active. Tuesday brings more mixed precipitation statewide. Wednesday, winds ramp back up — gusts to 50 possible. By Friday, temperatures plummet, especially central Montana, where highs struggle to reach the upper 20s. Secure anything loose outside today. This wind doesn't ask permission. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.