MISSOULA — It was a breezy Thursday afternoon, but it was also warm!
If you stepped out at any point today across West-Central and Southwest Montana, you were stepping into temperatures topping out in the 60s and 70s!
The record in Missoula was previously set at 67 degrees on November 5 in 2012.
Today we reached 69 degrees early in the afternoon when warm wind was blowing in from the southwest.
Those winds have started to calm, but temperatures return to the upper 40s and low 50s tomorrow.
This is about average for this time of year, but we expect another day of widespread showers in the forecast.
Most showers have been staying north of the I-90 corridor, but Friday that will change.
Spotty showers move into West-Central Montana Friday afternoon and evening, and isolated showers are possible through the Bitterroot Valley later Friday night.
A lower pressure system drops out of the northwest tonight, but changes from the low will start being felt Friday night.
Lows drop well below freezing, and any moisture still around will fall as rain early Friday evening and then start to change to a wintry mix in valleys by the late evening hours.
Light snow accumulation is possible Friday night into Saturday morning as snow continues to fall through the overnight hours into the midday hours of Saturday.
Closer to 1-3” is possible in lower elevation valleys, but areas along the Divide will get the bulk of the snow especially areas like Drummond, Seeley/Swan Lake, Essex, and West Glacier with closer to 4-8” possible in these areas with 8-14” in mountains.
Snow lets up on Saturday afternoon, and drier, but cooler, conditions bring us into the beginning of next week.
