BUTTE — Unseasonably warm and dry conditions will hold through Friday afternoon before a strong Pacific cold front sweeps through late in the evening. Ahead of the boundary, southerly to southwesterly winds will gust between 25 and 35 mph, creating localized fire weather concerns. As the front crosses the Continental Divide between late Friday afternoon and evening, powerful westerly winds will slam the high plains along the Rocky Mountain Front. This area faces over a 70% chance of gusts topping 55 mph, a 50%+ probability of sustained winds exceeding 40 mph, and peak gusts up to 70 mph.
In the wake of the front late Friday night through Saturday, temperatures will drop noticeably back to seasonable levels. Rapid cold air advection will pull snow levels down to around 5,000 feet, leaving 1 to 3 inches of light accumulation across elevations above 6,000 feet in Glacier National Park, including Logan Pass. Strong westerly winds will remain gusty across the plains through early Saturday afternoon before upper-level winds begin to ease.
Looking ahead, a weaker Pacific trough will slide across the region Sunday into Monday, maintaining cooler temperatures and focusing scattered shower activity over southwestern Montana. By mid-week, a broader system will approach, triggering another round of breezy to windy conditions area-wide.
