Heavy rain, possible valley snow this weekend
In this photo provided by Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, snow falls on Mammoth Mountain Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (Peter Morning/MMSA via AP)
Northwest Montana hunters will need to pack rain and snow gear this week as a major Pacific storm is set to dump ample precipitation on area mountain ranges.
According to the National Weather Service in Missoula, the prolonged period of rainfall will impact Northwest Montana mountains beginning Thursday morning through Friday afternoon. The heaviest rain totals will focus on the Cabinet Mountains, Whitefish Range, Swan Mountains and across Glacier National Park, where up to 3 inches of rain is possible.
Snow levels will remain above 8,000 feet through Friday morning, before dropping to 5,500 feet Friday afternoon. The bulk of rainfall will occur with snow levels above 8,000 feet.
Wide valleys of Northwest Montana, such as Flathead and Mission valleys, will receive rainfall in the 0.25-0.50 inch range. Locally higher amounts up to 2 inches could fall in narrow valley areas such as Yaak, Libby, Troy, Heron and Trout Creek.
Friday night into Saturday, cold air will stream across the Continental Divide, with snow
levels quickly falling from 5,500 feet to 2,500 feet across Northwest Montana.
“Confidence is increasing for accumulating snow along the Continental Divide and in the Glacier Park region,” the Weather Service warned in its daily forecast discussion. “How much snow falls along the Divide and valley locations in northwest Montana, such as the Flathead Valley, remains a big question mark.”
One forecast model shows a couple inches of snow in the Flathead Valley on Saturday, with 6 inches or more impacting U.S. 2 over Marias Pass.
High temperatures for the valley on Saturday will be in the 40s, with overnight lows in the teens.
“The bottom line: keep an eye on the forecast if you have travel plans Saturday morning across Northwest Montana, particularly near and along the Divide,” the Weather Service warned.