Ready for winter? Here it comes

Snow, subzero cold predicted for valley

By JIM MANN/Daily Inter Lake

Winter weather is finally on its way, with bitter cold temperatures expected to arrive in Western Montana over the weekend and endure throughout next week.

"It looks like late Friday into early Saturday, we have two frontal systems coming into the area," said Peter Felsch, warning coordinator meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula.

A Pacific moisture system will arrive tonight, bringing with it snowfall of 3 to 6 inches in the valleys. At the same time, an arctic weather front will sweep over the Continental Divide from the north.

"As that arctic air comes in, the snow will be moderate to heavy," Felsch said. "Winter weather conditions are going to get pretty nasty."

After the snowfall, he said, there will be strong winds with blowing snow and drifting, with a potential for localized whiteout conditions on Saturday.

"And after that temperatures will continue to fall, with dangerous wind chills developing Saturday night and Sunday," he said.

Temperatures in the Flathead Valley are expected to reach lows of 10 below zero Saturday night, with a high of 2 below zero on Sunday. Sunday night and Monday morning, temperatures are expected to drop to minus 18.

"We could see wind-chill values of 20 to 40 below by Monday morning," Felsch said.

And it won't be warming up soon.

"This cold air mass will be with us all of next week with temperatures well below zero," Felsch said. "When the sun goes down, it will be bitterly cold and on the dry side."

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com