Slim chances for white Christmas in Flathead
Alan and Catherine Lerner brave the snowfall to walk their Pudelpointer Greta on Thursday afternoon, December 19, along Whitefish Stage Road in Kalispell.(Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)
Santa should have clear skies as he travels through the Flathead Valley on Christmas Eve, but the chances of landing his sleigh on snowy rooftops looks slim.
According to the National Weather Service in Missoula, the subtropical flow that delivered unseasonably warm temperatures and rain to valley locations on Saturday is expected to taper off by Sunday evening. Temperatures will cool slightly overnight, closer to seasonal norms, but measurable snow looks unlikely over the next few days.
“Will western Montana and north central Idaho have a chance at a white Christmas? Sadly, the odds are not in our favor,” the Weather Service reported Saturday. “The term uneventful comes to mind when describing weather after Monday.”
The Northern Rockies will be dry and calm through Christmas week, with near seasonal temperatures — highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s.
“This is all great news for travelers, but bad news for those dreaming of a white Christmas,” the Weather Service reported.
The next chance for more widespread precipitation looks to be Friday.
Friday’s sloppy weather set up precarious avalanche conditions in the backcountry. The avalanche danger Saturday was rated as considerable in the Whitefish Range, Swan Mountains and Glacier Park due to a combination of new and drifted snow and rapidly warming temperatures.
“At mid-elevations, rain and above freezing temperatures have made wet snow avalanches possible on steep slopes,” the Flathead Avalanche Center warned.
“Avoid being on or under steep slopes with more than about a foot of new and/ or drifted snow. At mid elevations, steer clear of steep slopes with gloppy wet snow.”
Visit www.flatheadavalanche.org for the latest conditions.