Stormy weather ahead

Series of storms heading to valley

The Daily Inter Lake

A series of winter storms is expected to move through Northwest Montana this week, bringing high winds, snow and below-normal temperatures.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Friday afternoon, in preparation for the first weather front, which was forecast to hit the area last night and this morning.

Five to 9 inches of new snow were anticipated in the Flathead Valley, with southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 50 mph or more.

Areas between Columbia Falls and Bigfork were expected to receive the heaviest snowfall, according to the weather service.

In the mountains, a total of 12 to 24 inches of snow were predicted by this evening.

The next disturbance should move into Montana on Sunday, according to the weather service, bringing additional snow and high winds, and high temperatures in the upper 20s to lower 30s.

A third storm system was expected on Wednesday.

That should be followed by an Arctic cold front, with high temperatures dropping down into the teens and lows in the single digits.