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MISSOULA - We've got a powerful weather system working its way through the Pacific Northwest today and we're going to see several impacts from it here in Western Montana. The first will be all the rain. Showers will continue through the day with some heavier periods of rain fall and even a few rumbles of thunder possible.

Rainfall totals from Monday and Tuesday are likely to exceed half an inch for most locations will all of us receiving the bulk of the rain today. With the warmer temperatures, even the higher elevations are seeing rain.

The bigger impact however is going to be the winds. A high wind warning is in effect for the Missoula, Bitterroot, Mission and Flathead valleys, the Potomac-Seeley Lake and West Glacier regions, and the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Westerly winds will develop with sustained winds of 25 mph to 40 mph and gusts over 50 mph likely, with the strongest winds occurring late this morning and early this afternoon. High profile vehicles may have difficulties with travel especially along north to south roads.

A high wind advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. today for the Kootenai-Cabinet and the Lower Clark Fork regions and the Northern and Southern Clearwater mountains. Westerly winds will develop sustained at 25 mph to 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph likely, with the strongest winds occurring late this morning and early this afternoon.

Be sure to secure any loose item you may have lying around outdoors so they're not blown away.

Because of the timing of the front, our temperatures are going to do something a bit out of the ordinary today. We'll warm up through the morning hours with our highs topping out in the mid to upper 50s.

But once the front moves through around midday, our temperatures will fall. So during the afternoon we'll drop from the mid to upper 50s down toward the 40s this evening. And with the cooler air mass moving in, we can expect to feel that extra nip in the air.

Showers will start to taper this evening and our winds will also calm down as the cold front moves off to the east. By Wednesday morning, we will be waking up to partly cloudy skies and light winds, but also much cooler temperatures. Morning lows will be in the low to mid 30s tomorrow and during the day, we'll only top out in the upper 40s to low 50s!

We will quickly rebound however, because highs for Thursday and Friday will be back in the mid to upper 50s thanks to a little more sunshine to end out the week.