Montana snow today is triggering winter storm warnings across Montana through Monday, with 10 to 20 inches possible in the Gates of the Mountains, Upper Blackfoot and MacDonald Pass, the Southern High Plains, the Southern Rocky Mountain Front, and the East Glacier Park Region Zone and Northern High Plains. Travelers in the Helena Valley, Madison River Valley and Missouri Headwaters face 3 to 7 inches and winds to 40 mph until 6 AM Monday.
The heaviest totals are centered in higher terrain. The Absaroka/Beartooth Mountains warning calls for 10 to 18 inches from 6 PM Saturday to noon Monday, while the MacDonald Pass, Homestake Pass, Highway 12 from Garrison to Elliston, Georgetown Lake and Butte warning calls for 3 to 9 inches, with 12 to 18 inches in the higher mountain areas and gusts to 45 mph.
Passes and valleys
The setup is uneven. Lower western Montana valleys may only see a light dusting on grassy surfaces, but Rogers Pass, MacDonald Pass, Homestake Pass and Lost Trail are expected to see periodic travel impacts through the weekend as snow remains above 4,000 feet.
In the East Glacier Park Region Zone and Northern High Plains, the highest amounts are expected in the mountains south of US Highway 2. That warning also runs until 6 AM Monday and carries 10 to 20 inches of snow.
Flathead Lake winds
Flathead Lake is under gusty easterly winds through early Monday, with gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph. The forecast also calls for a widespread hard freeze in the valleys Monday through Wednesday mornings, with Tuesday morning looking like the chilliest morning in the forecast.
For anyone driving the passes or living in the warned valleys, the next step is simple: plan for winter conditions through Monday and expect the roughest stretch in the higher elevations, where snow totals and wind gusts rise much faster than they do in the lower valleys.
Monday freeze
Warmer weather is expected later next week, with highs climbing back into the 60s. Until then, the warnings point to a narrow travel window: lighter impacts in some lower valleys, but much heavier accumulation and wind on the passes and in the high country.
