Winter Storm Warning | Montana Weather

Good morning! I'm Aaron Jolly. And welcome to the Montana Weather Podcast — it's Tuesday, February 24th. Step outside right now and you'll feel it.. Roads are already getting slick with a messy mix of rain and snow. But this morning's mess? That's just the opening act. The real show starts tonight when a cold front roars in with heavy mountain snow, gusty winds. And snow squalls that could drop visibility to zero in seconds. Let's start in Western Montana. Missoula and the Bitterroot are dealing with 1 to 2 inches of wet snow this morning before it flips back to rain this afternoon. But don't relax yet. Tonight that cold front hits. And by Wednesday morning you're back to all snow. The wild card? Snow squalls — brief but brutal bursts that could dump an inch in minutes. Lookout Pass and MacDonald Pass are looking at 4 to 8 inches by Wednesday, with winds gusting to 30 miles an hour. And if you're eyeing the backcountry, don't. The Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains are under a Winter Storm Warning with 1 to 2 feet of snow and winds hitting 70 miles an hour. Avalanche danger is high. Central Montana sees a brief chance of light snow around 7 A.M., but the real action is tonight. Winds crank up to 30 miles an hour, with gusts near 50 by Wednesday. Today you'll hit 47 degrees — well above normal — but by Thursday those gusts could reach 60 miles an hour. If you're driving anything tall, wait until Friday. Eastern Montana gets rain and snow through 2 P.M., then dries out. You'll actually climb to 43 degrees today, but Wednesday brings another round of snow and winds gusting to 40 miles an hour. Then comes the temperature rollercoaster: 57 degrees Thursday, down to 21 by Friday night. Here's your week ahead. Wednesday is the big day — that cold front brings dangerous winds, especially along the Rocky Mountain Front where gusts could hit 90 miles an hour. Thursday stays windy but temperatures jump into the 50s. Then Friday night, arctic air crashes in and drops us 30 degrees in 24 hours. Saturday morning you're waking up to teens and 20s. Secure anything loose outside before Wednesday hits. This week, the wind writes the headlines. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.