Arctic blast predicted for New Year

The National Weather Service is predicting a frigid, snowy start to 2017.

According to the national agency’s office in Missoula, a winter storm on Sunday will bring up to 5 inches of snow to Western Montana’s valleys, coupled with 15- to 25-mile-per-hour winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour from the northeast out of Badrock Canyon.

Weather Service meteorologists warn that blowing snow could create hazards during that time with visibility less than a quarter mile.

Overnight, temperatures will start dropping while continuing gusty conditions could push wind chills as low as the negative double-digits by Monday morning. Wind chills are forecast to drop as low as 40 below zero by Monday evening, followed by near-record low temperatures through the rest of the week.

Highs will likely struggle to even rise above zero for much of western Montana on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“This extraordinary cold and prolonged arctic system will settle over the region through all of next week,” the Weather Service warned, making note that ice jams will be a possibility.

In Kalispell, the Weather Service is forecasting seasonal temperatures from the mid-teens to low 30s through the end of this week, with single-digits arriving Sunday night.