MISSOULA — Light snow has been falling on and off this Tuesday afternoon.
The good news: we had just enough sunshine to heat dark surfaces like roadways, and most Western Montana roads are listed wet/scattered wet with a few areas of slush Tuesday afternoon.
This all changes tonight with re-freezing and more snow on the way.
As car activity lessens tonight, snow will fall onto cooler roadways and surfaces, and as temperatures drop, refreezing and snow accumulation will occur.
This means we go from wet and slushy to icy and snowy through Wednesday morning.
Reduced visibility and slick roads are our main concerns for this snow event Tuesday through Wednesday.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect tonight through Wednesday morning for the west-central and southwest parts of the state and the northwest’s advisory expires Wednesday afternoon.
Snow accumulation will likely climb through the overnight hours.
Highest amounts of snow are still set for places like Lookout and Lolo Passes which could receive 4-6” of snow.
Lower elevation valleys from the Flathead through Missoula and into the Bitterroot will see closer to 1-3”.
Higher elevation valleys along the Divide could see up to 3-5” of snow by Wednesday afternoon.
Snow moves out Wednesday morning for west-central and southwest parts of the state, but the northwest will likely see light snow and flurries through Wednesday evening.
Thursday looks to be cooler than average as highs top out in the mid to upper 30s, and we have a quick break from the snow before rain and snow move in for the weekend.
