Wicked Wind, Snowy Weather Howl Across Montana’s Turkey Day Roads

Travelers have encountered howling winds and ground blizzard conditions on Thanksgiving while traveling on Montana roads. Southwest Montana highways have been particularly hit by gusty winds consistently over 30 mph. Combined with even small amounts of snow, conditions and visibility has been quite poor.

Most counties in southwest Montana are under Winter Weather Advisories – some of which expire Thursday evening, and others continue through Friday morning. According to the National Weather Service:

• WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY.
• WHAT…Snow. Additional snow accumulations between 2 and 4 inches.
• WHERE…Melville Foothills, Northern Carbon, Northern Stillwater, Northern Sweet Grass, and Southeastern Carbon.
• WHEN…Until 6 AM Friday.
• IMPACTS…Untreated roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slick and snow covered road conditions, and poor visibility.

Most of the major roads and highways are not receiving heavy snowfall, but they’re dealing with occasional whiteout conditions with ground blizzards cropping up with 35 mph to 40 mph wind gusts. Some mountain ranges ARE seeing significant snowfall with up to 10 inches possible by Friday.

• WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY.
• WHAT…Snow. Snow accumulation of 2 to 5 inches.
• WHERE…Bighorn Canyon and Southern Big Horn counties, Pryor/Northern Bighorn Mountains (which may get up to 10 inches of snow), Absaroka/Beartooth Mountains (which also may get up to 10 inches of snow.)
• WHEN…Until 6 AM Friday.
• IMPACTS…Untreated roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous.