Father’s Day brings clear skies, snow and rain expected early next week in Montana

Heavy rain swept through many areas of north-central Montana this afternoon, accompanied by isolated thunderstorm conditions. Morning showers gave way to sunshine and then occasional rain throughout the morning and afternoon today.

 

This evening is expected to be mostly dry with temperatures cooling down to the 50s and 60s by 9 pm.

 

Overnight, mostly dry skies will continue into Father’s Day tomorrow. Montanans can expect clear to partly cloudy weather, a relief after today’s rain, although a cooling trend and breezy conditions will bring back spring-like weather before the official start of summer this Thursday.

 

Montana may experience snow showers in the west early Monday morning, transitioning to rain showers by late morning and spreading into central and eastern areas.

 

Snow is most likely at elevations above 6000′, with possible accumulations of 4-8 inches. Passes such as Marias, Lost Trail, Lolo, Homestake, and MacDonald Passes could see up to 5″ of snow, which may create slippery conditions on the roadways.

 

Overnight gusty winds are expected in northern regions, with gusts up to 45 mph in the Cut Bank area and 35 in Jordan. These gusts will shift to the northeastern plains tomorrow afternoon.

 

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for the majority of Montana’s eastern plains as thunderstorms move through the area this evening. This watch is set to expire at 9 pm tonight.

 

Tonight’s lows range from 32 degrees in Butte to 51 in Miles City. A similar temperature range is expected for tomorrow’s daytime highs, with the west in the 60s and eastern Montana in the mid-70s.

 

Rain is likely for the first half of the upcoming work week, but it is forecasted to clear up as temperatures warm up for the following weekend.