Winter storms blowing through Flathead

Don’t put those parkas away yet. The National Weather Service in Missoula is predicting chilly temperatures, high winds and significant snowfall as two different fronts move into Northwest Montana in the next few days.

Meteorologist Peter Felsch said that starting on Thursday (March 5) a low pressure system would push in from the Pacific as an arctic front comes down from Canada, combining for some frosty weather.

“High temperatures on Friday afternoon look to be at least 10-15 degrees below normal,” he said. Highs on Friday are predicted to be around the freezing mark in the Flathead but could plunge below zero along the continental divide and in Glacier Park, with particularly cold temperatures reaching down as far as Badrock Canyon.

Felsch said snowfall at high elevations could reach more than a foot, but the Flathead was likely to see no more than 3-5 inches with wind and blowing snow.

“With the wind it could be pretty bitterly cold,” he said.

After that system moves out on Friday, a clearing period is expected, but Felsch said another arctic front will push in from the north on Sunday and Monday. The second wave doesn’t look to be as dynamic as the first, according to the NWS, but should keep things cold through next week.

Long-term, Felsch said Northwest Montana can expect below-average temperatures through mid-March with the potential for some moderation as the month wears on.

The agency currently has much of the area under a Winter Storm Watch, but Felsch said that is likely to be upgraded to “warning” status as the system progresses.

For updated warnings and information, visit the NWS online at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mso/.