MISSOULA — A plume of moisture from the Pacific will bring a nice amount of rain and snow to Western Montana Friday night through Sunday.
This weather setup is favorable for heavy snow in the mountains along the Montana/Idaho border and the Glacier Region.
Models are showing 12"-to-18" of snow for Lookout Pass, 8"-to-12" for Lolo Pass and 6"-to-10" for Lost Trail and Marias passes from Friday through Sunday.
The best chance for valley snow will be Friday and Saturday. Around 1/2"-to-2" could fall for the Mission, Missoula and Bitterroot valleys with 1"-to-3" of additional snow for the Flathead Valley.
Lower elevations west of these locations — such as Superior, St. Regis, Thompson Falls, Libby and Troy — could see higher amounts with 2"-to-5" possible.
The Glacier Region — including Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse and West Glacier — could see 2"-to-6".
As warmer air moves in, snow levels will rise by Sunday leading to more of a rain/snow mix in the valleys with snow continuing in the mountains.
By Monday, most valleys will be back in the upper 30s to low 40s with any precipitation falling as rain in the lower elevations.
