Thanksgiving storm targets Northwest Montana
A maintenance man uses a snowblower to clear a sidewalk outside a condominium complex along Grant Street as a storm packing snow and high winds sweeps in over the region Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019, in Denver. Stores, schools and government offices were closed or curtailed their hours while on another front, Thanksgiving Day travellers were forced to wrestle with snow-packed roads and flight delays or cancellations throughout the intermountain West. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A push of winter weather is set to arrive in Northwest Montana just in time for the Thanksgiving travel crunch.
High winds and mountain snow will be the main impact for Montana commuters on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Luke Robinson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Missoula.
A high wind warning is in effect through Wednesday night for the Flathead Valley where sustained winds of 36 mph are likely, with gusts up to 50 mph possible. Robinson said conditions could bring on “mountain wave” gusts topping 60 mph in isolated areas, mainly between Olney and Whitefish along U.S. 93, and along the southern half of Flathead Lake.
“There is a high probability of seeing power outages and trees being blown down” with these events, Robinson said.
Wave heights on Flathead Lake could top 6 feet. Robinson said freezing spray will be a concern on the west and southern areas of the lake. He warned that roads could get icy and that parking near the sprays zone isn’t advised.
Snowfall will be mostly confined to the mountains along the Continental Divide. Places like Marias Pass on U.S. 2 near Glacier National Park could see 12-18 inches of new snow by Thursday. Drivers should expect blowing and drifting conditions with reduced visibility.
“We’re not expecting too much snow to accumulate farther west,” Robinson said, noting that Essex is only expected to receive an inch or two.
Farther south, Gilmore Summit and Homestake Pass could receive a couple of inches.
Conditions will clear and temperatures will drop rapidly for the Black Friday shopping day. The Flathead Valley will see lows in the single digits with wind chill values well below zero.
The extended outlook shows below normal precipitation chances and below normal temperatures.