Snow, wind, cold on the way

The Daily Inter Lake

Snow, then wind, then severe cold.

That's the outlook for Northwest Montana weather today, with a winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service.

The result is expected to be 4-10 inches of snow by this afternoon, pushed around by high winds.

And then it gets really cold tonight: lows of 16 degrees below zero and wind-chill readings of 15 to 30 below.

An upper-level Northwest flow will bring the snow. Then that system will collide with a strong arctic cold front from Canada.

For the Flathead Valley, today's forecast promises a variety of misery.

After up to 3 inches of snow overnight, the valley may get another 5 inches during the day. Brisk winds of 15-20 mph are predicted.

Those winds may gust up to 35 mph and create hazardous conditions with blowing and drifting snow.

Although the high temperature today may reach 14, the low could be almost 30 degrees below that.

The snow is expected to taper off tonight, but the extreme cold will stay around awhile.

Thursday's high temperature may be minus 5 and Thursday night's temperature may dip to minus 19.

The outlook for the rest of the week is slightly warmer but still far from balmy:

Friday: Highs 1 below to 6 above; lows minus 8 to minus 16.

Saturday: Highs 1 to 8 above zero; lows zero to minus 12.

Sunday: Highs 6 to 15 above zero; lows 4 below to 8 above zero.

Monday: Highs 10-18; lows 1 below to 11 above zero.