MISSOULA - A large trough of low pressure has settled into the region and with it, widely scattered mountain snow and valley rain/snow showers! We even saw a daily precipitation record set in Missoula with 1.01" Wednesday! Most of Thursday's valley snow showers haven't impacted road conditions too much due to warmer ground temps, but that all changes this evening when we lose the sunlight and cold air pushes further south.
Expect snow to continue overnight and into early Friday for mainly west-central & southwest Montana and areas along the Divide where the best chance for light accumulation lies. Winter Weather Advisories continue until noon Friday for several locations with the Missoula/Bitteroot Valleys and Lower Clark Fork Region now added. This snow is a little concerning for areas where the leaves have come out on the trees - since the leaves will hold onto the snow and cause tree limbs to break, potentially causing power outages.
For those that clear out a bit Thursday night (extreme NW Montana), expect a chilly start to Friday. Highs (with decreasing snow showers and clouds) will only top out in the mid 40s.
Another cold morning is expected Saturday as we see the potential again for record lows (click here for more on what to expect with that). Partly cloudy skies are expected with a couple mountain/terrain based showers with highs in the mid 40s to low 50s... more of the same for Sunday.
