Montana Weather March 4 Morning - 20° Above Normal

Good morning. Montana. I'm Aaron Jolly. Montana is living up to its "big sky" reputation today with two completely different worlds. Eastern Montana is basking in 65 degrees under mostly sunny skies. That's nearly 20 degrees above normal for early March. Meanwhile. Western Montana sits at 50 degrees with rain falling and a likely soak continuing through the day. Down in Central Montana, you're in the middle at 59 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. Southwest winds gusting to 20 miles an hour keep things breezy. In the next 24 hours. Tonight, the divide sharpens. Eastern Montana stays mild with a low of 37 degrees. But rain moves in after 4 A.M. Ahead of a cold front. Central Montana sees rain developing by evening, mixing with snow overnight as temperatures drop to 34. Out west, that rain transitions to a rain-snow mix with a low of 34. Thursday brings cooler air statewide. Eastern Montana drops to 51 degrees with rain likely. Central Montana hits 48 with rain and snow mixing. Western Montana stays at 45 with continued rain and snow showers. A Winter Weather Advisory kicks in at 3 P.M. Today for Northwest Beaverhead County. Expect 3 to 6 inches of snow at pass level, with gusts to 35 miles an hour. Travel over Homestake and Lost Trail Passes could get tricky after sunset. Looking ahead. Friday clears out with highs near 50. The weekend turns warm and windy. Sunday could hit 68 degrees in the east, but gusts may exceed 50 miles an hour. Another system arrives early next week, bringing cooler temperatures and a chance of snow. By the way, tonight's full moon rises at sunset. With spring equinox just two weeks away, we're gaining over 3 minutes of daylight each day. For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast as confidence improves. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.