A visit from Old Man Winter: Snow, then cold descend on Valley

The Daily Inter Lake

On the heels of heavy snowfall Monday, bitter cold is expected to descend on the Flathead Valley today.

At least two nights of subzero temperatures are predicted as a Canadian arctic front pushes across the Continental Divide.

"Very cold temperatures below zero are expected over extreme Northwest Montana Tuesday morning and throughout the region Wednesday morning as skies clear and winds diminish," the National Weather Service said Monday afternoon. "Record-breaking low temperatures are a good possibility throughout Western Montana Wednesday."

Lows tonight are expected to be minus 17 in Kalispell and Polson, minus 20 in West Glacier, minus 22 in Essex, minus 8 in Libby and minus 15 in Eureka, according to the weather service.

The cold is predicted to linger at least through Thursday.

The temperature drop follows a big snow day Monday across the Flathead Valley. Whitefish residents awoke Monday to 8 inches of new snow while areas around Bigfork had almost a foot of snow - and snow shovelers and motorists had to contend with continuing snow throughout the day.

When winds increased Monday afternoon, blowing and drifting snow created visibility problems in parts of the valley.

By Monday afternoon, the Big Mountain was reporting a 24-hour snowfall of 12 inches of new snow at the summit and 10 inches in the Village area. Blacktail Mountain received 4 to 6 inches of new snow, bolstering a base of 38 inches for the ski area's Friday opening.

Snow was piling up as usual at the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex just south of Glacier National Park. The inn measured 10-12 inches of snowfall since sunrise Monday.

The weather service, in issuing a heavy snow warning Monday, predicted that total snow accumulation by this morning would be 5 to 10 inches in the valley and 10 to 18 inches at higher elevations.