Snow, ice reported on Glacier Park area roads

Road conditions were deteriorating early Tuesday afternoon on U.S. 2 in the Glacier National Park area due to snow and high winds.

According to the Montana Department of Transportation, snow is falling and U.S. 2 is snow covered from West Glacier to Devil Creek.

It is also snowing and roads are snow covered and icy 7 miles west of Marias Pass and over the pass.

On the east side of the pass to Browning, snow is falling with blowing and drifting conditions as roads have become snowy and icy.

According to the National Weather Service, there is a winter storm warning east of the Continental Divide while a winter storm watch is in effect west of the divide in the Glacier region.

Also, there is a wind advisory for Northwest Montana with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour from the north or northeast from Tuesday afternoon to Tuesday night.

The Weather Service said large waves on the south side of Flathead Lake could damage docks and boats.

It is also predicting choppy conditions on area lakes and difficult driving for high profile vehicles in cross winds.

The weather is the result of a strong cold front crossing the Intermountain West and reaching the central and northern plains by Thursday morning.

Temperatures will turn sharply colder and be well below normal behind the front, with widespread accumulating snow expected across much of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming on Tuesday and lasting into Wednesday morning, and then reaching the western Dakotas by Wednesday night.

Winter storm watches and warnings are in effect for 6 to 12 inches of snow, with scattered higher amounts likely.