MISSOULA — Today, Western Montana will start to feel a more intense shift to cooler and wetter weather.
Temperatures will be about 20º to 30º cooler for this Tuesday compared to Sunday's warmth. This change means that daytime highs will rise to the upper 40s and low 50s. Grab a jacket on your way out of the door!
Gusty winds should contribute to a shift in the air as well. For the most part, gusts will stay between 10 mph to 25 mph, but may pick up in the afternoon just before the precipitation starts to move in. At their highest, winds could be expected to peak between 20 mph and 30 mph.
Scattered showers may begin in Southwest Montana around 3 p.m. today with light mountain snow. This moisture is not the main feature expected to bring precipitation our way though. Instead, the widespread precipitation coming our way will begin at the Canada/Montana border in the late evening.
Throughout the night and into tomorrow morning, the precipitation will spread further south. A few remaining snow showers are possible Wednesday morning, especially for areas below the I-90 corridor.
Winter Weather Advisories are in place for the West Glacier and East Glacier regions and may be extended to other mountain ranges later today.
Overall, snow totals will be minimal for valleys, meaning minimal impacts. Mountain passes may see slightly over 2", meaning possible slushy conditions.
After Wednesday, moisture tapers off but the temperatures remain chilly until the weekend.
