Winter climate is creeping its method into western Montana, with forecasts predicting Missoula to see decrease temperatures than West Yellowstone subsequent week.
Wednesday introduced colder circumstances together with some snow to larger elevations from the south finish of Flathead Lake up via Kalispell. Snow dusted the mountains surrounding Missoula valley.
Nationwide Climate Service meteorologist Jenn Kitsmiller mentioned a push of colder air from Canada ushered within the decrease temperatures to western Montana. Northwest parts of the state have been seeing the coldest temperatures, particularly within the Mission and Flathead valleys.
Missoula is on the road, Kitsmiller mentioned. The valley noticed some mild rain early Wednesday morning. A lot of the snow influence is sitting at larger elevations round 5,000 ft.
Polson and Lake County have been hit particularly onerous with slippery circumstances Wednesday morning.
Persons are additionally studying…
Gentle snow and slush got here down on Freeway 93 and Freeway 35 in Lake County. Sheriff Don Bell described circumstances as “fairly powerful” early Wednesday morning, and mentioned there have been a number of slide-offs and rollover crashes.
At about 11:15 a.m., Bell mentioned emergency groups have been engaged on two rollover passenger automobiles on Freeway 35, simply north of Bear Dance. Vehicles have been caught on Jette Hill and Blue Bay Hill. Circumstances improved later within the morning, however the space was nonetheless getting mild snow into the afternoon.
Lolo Move received a couple of inches on Wednesday, and chains have been required close to Lolo Sizzling Springs, Kitsmiller mentioned. The Bitterroot Valley remained comparatively heat.
Wednesday’s snow was excessive in water content material and heavy, making timber extra liable to falling, Kitsmiller defined. Pockets of northwest Montana reported energy outages from downed foliage that snapped underneath the load of the snow.
“That’s been the place plenty of our points (have been) right now,” Kitsmiller mentioned of the heavy snow.
Forecasts for the weekend and into subsequent week predict below-freezing temperatures. A map from NWS Missoula estimates a low of 9 levels Fahrenheit subsequent Tuesday in Missoula, Polson and Hamilton, whereas West Yellowstone sits at a predicted 12 levels.
Temperatures in West Glacier and Browning are forecast between -1 diploma and -4 levels Fahrenheit.
“We’re assured that it’s going to be a lot colder early subsequent week,” Kitsmiller mentioned.
Highs in Missoula are anticipated to linger within the 20s, with snow within the Missoula valley extra seemingly towards Sunday and into Monday, she defined. Kitsmiller harassed that western Montanans ought to put together themselves for the winter circumstances as they roll in within the coming days.
“It’s going to really feel like a major change,” she mentioned.
Our favourite pictures of the week from October 24 to October 30.