Valley snow possible for weekend

Summer ended Monday and already the “s” word is back in the forecast for Northwest Montana.

A cold front on Thursday will usher in freezing cold temperatures along with a mixed bag of precipitation, including valley snow.

“Very cold temperatures for this time of year will infiltrate the region,” the National Weather Service in Missoula warned on Monday.

Valley locations across Western Montana could see a rain and snow mix Friday into Sunday, although little to no snow accumulation is expected.

It will be a different story in the mountains, especially along the Continental Divide.

Heavy snow is expected to impact travel across Marias and Homestake passes Saturday night and Sunday. Up to 2 feet of snow is possible for places like Logan Pass in Glacier National Park above 6,000 feet.

The coldest temperatures are expected Monday and Tuesday mornings where overnight lows in the valley could dip into the mid 20s to lower 30s. Daytime highs in the 40s to lower 50s. The Weather Service warned that impacts to sensitive plants are possible.

In the mountains, conditions will be raw, with lows bottoming out in the teens.