847
FXUS65 KMSO 301003
AFDMSO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
403 AM MDT THU APR 30 2026
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- SIGNIFICANT WARMING AND DRYING THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, MEDIUM-HIGH
PROBABILITIES FOR VALLEY TEMPERATURES REACHING 70 DEGREES OR
WARMER ON FRIDAY.
- SLOW-MOVING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS RETURN THIS
WEEKEND, INITIALLY FOCUSED NORTH ON SATURDAY BEFORE SHIFTING
SOUTHWARD FOR SUNDAY.
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING OVER THE REGION TODAY
INTO FRIDAY LEADING TO WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL
BE RUNNING 10 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES AS THE VALLEYS OF
WESTERN MONTANA BEING IN THE 70S AND LOWER VALLEYS OF NORTH
CENTRAL IDAHO REACHING 80S BY FRIDAY.
THIS WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK, THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES WILL BE BETWEEN TWO LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS. THE FIRST LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE DIGGING ALONG ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST THEN
MOVE INLAND OVER CALIFORNIA AND TRAVERSE INTO THE GREAT BASIN
REGION. THE OTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE HOVERING OVER THE
HUDSON BAY. A SUBTLE DISTURBANCE WILL BE SLIDING SOUTHWARD OUT OF
CENTRAL CANADA SATURDAY AFTERNOON CAUSING A FEW SHOWERS ALONG THE
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AROUND GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. THEN ON SUNDAY,
MOISTURE AND SOME ENERGY FROM THE CALIFORNIA LOW WILL SPARK OF
SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHWEST MONTANA INTO
NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO. THEN ON MONDAY INTO TUESDAY, AROUND 46% OF
THE LONG TERM MODELS HAVE ANOTHER BACKDOOR COLD FRONT TO MOVE OUT
OF CENTRAL CANADA FROM THE HUDSON LOW. THIS FEATURE WILL BRING
MORE SHOWER ACTIVITY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE ALONG WITH
COOLER TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS.
AVIATION
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING OVER THE
REGION TODAY BRINGING FAIR FLYING CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT 24
HOURS. THIS RIDGE COULD ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PATCHY VALLEY
FOG THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT TO KGPI AND KMSO DURING THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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