MISSOULA — A mild weather system from the Pacific Ocean will bring widespread rain, primarily to northwest Montana Thursday and continue into Friday. Mountains along the Montana/Idaho border in northwest Montana, the Whitefish Range and Glacier National Park could see 2"-to-3" of rain Thursday through Friday. The Flathead and Mission valleys are expected to receive around .25"-to-.50" of rain. Meanwhile, towns such as Libby and Troy will likely see around .50"-to-1.25". There is a potential for rock or mudslides over roads especially near any burn scars.
Locations in west-central and southwest Montana will see a few light rain showers Thursday morning. The best chance for rain in these locations will be Friday afternoon as a cold front moves through bringing more widespread rain to the region.
Before the skies clear for the weekend, the previously mentioned cold front will bring a quick round of snow to northwest Montana, primarily from around Glacier National Park east to the divide Friday night into early Saturday morning. There is even the slight chance that the Flathead valley could see a light dusting of snow during this time. Those with travel plans on US 2 over on Marias Pass should prepare for some slippery roads Friday night through Saturday morning.
The weekend is shaping up to be dry and cool with sunny skies. Highs will top out in the 40s on both Saturday and Sunday.
