Pacific storm to bring mountain snow this weekend

The coldest temperatures of the season are expected across Western Montana this weekend, along with a good chance of mountain snow.

A strong cold front will move across the area Saturday, bringing gusty winds up to 40 mph in the valley. Flathead Lake could see very choppy conditions, the National Weather Service in Missoula warned.

Widespread precipitation is expected behind the cold front as temperatures drop well below seasonal norms. Highs in the Flathead Valley will struggle to reach the mid 50s, with lows in the 30s through Wednesday.

Rain totals for Western Montana valleys will range from .20 to .80 inches.

Meanwhile, snow levels in Montana will dip to around 6,000 feet Sunday night into Monday. Hikers and hunters headed into the backcountry should plan for raw conditions.

A mixture of rain and snow over passes, with accumulating snow over the ridges and peaks, is possible across the Rockies, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson noted in a news report Friday.

The large storm and cooler temperatures should bring some relief to firefighters working the massive blazes that continue to burn across the West. More than 5 million acres have burned in the U.S. this summer, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Typically in mid-September, the storm track over the northern Pacific Ocean and across Canada becomes more active, Anderson explained. The first day of fall is Wednesday, Sept. 22.

"We start to look for storms to swing in from the Pacific and bring much-needed moisture and lower temperatures this time of the year for the Northwest," Anderson stated.