522
WWUS45 KMSO 091835
WSWMSO
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
1235 PM MDT MON MAR 9 2026
IDZ006-102100-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WS.A.0002.260312T0000Z-260314T1800Z/
SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-
1135 AM PDT MON MAR 9 2026
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING ABOVE 5000 FEET...
* WHAT...HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE ABOVE 5000 FEET. THERE
IS A CHANCE OF MAJOR WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS. TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 1 TO 3 FEET. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH.
* WHERE...US HIGHWAY 12 OVER LOLO PASS, DIXIE, AND BACKCOUNTRY AREAS.
* WHEN...FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
* IMPACTS...VISIBILITIES MAY DROP BELOW 1/4 MILE DUE TO FALLING AND
BLOWING SNOW. THE STRONG WINDS AND WEIGHT OF SNOW ON TREE LIMBS
MAY DOWN POWER LINES AND COULD CAUSE SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES.
WHITEOUT AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN BACKCOUNTRY AREAS
AND MAY MAKE TRAVEL TREACHEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING.
FOR MAJOR WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS, EXPECT CONSIDERABLE DISRUPTIONS
TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES. DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE TRAVELING
CONDITIONS. WIDESPREAD CLOSURES AND DISRUPTIONS TO INFRASTRUCTURE
MAY OCCUR. STRONG WINDS COULD CAUSE TREE DAMAGE.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE CLIMBING WEDNESDAY INTO
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, REACHING AS HIGH AS 5,000 FEET NEAR LOLO PASS
AND 6,000 FEET ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS. THE WORST
TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY
MORNING PERIODS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.
PERSONS SHOULD CONSIDER DELAYING ALL TRAVEL. IF TRAVEL IS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY, DRIVE WITH EXTREME CAUTION. CONSIDER TAKING A WINTER
STORM KIT ALONG WITH YOU, INCLUDING SUCH ITEMS AS TIRE CHAINS,
BOOSTER CABLES, FLASHLIGHT, SHOVEL, BLANKETS AND EXTRA CLOTHING.
ALSO TAKE WATER, A FIRST AID KIT, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD HELP
YOU SURVIVE IN CASE YOU BECOME STRANDED.
DO NOT TOUCH DOWNED LINES AND REPORT ANY POWER OUTAGES TO YOUR
ELECTRIC COMPANY. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED DUE TO SLICK ROADWAYS
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES.
MTZ002-102100-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WS.A.0002.260312T0000Z-260314T1800Z/
WEST GLACIER REGION-
1235 PM MDT MON MAR 9 2026
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING...
* WHAT...HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE. THERE IS A CHANCE OF
MAJOR WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 3
TO 8 INCHES IN VALLEYS, WITH 1 TO 3 FEET OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS
AND BACKCOUNTRY ELEVATIONS. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH IN THE
LOWER ELEVATIONS, WITH GUSTS OF 60 TO 80 MPH IN THE BACKCOUNTRY.
* WHERE...ESSEX, BAD ROCK CANYON, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, HIGHWAY 83
BIGFORK TO SWAN LAKE, MARIAS PASS, AND POLEBRIDGE.
* WHEN...FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
* IMPACTS...VISIBILITIES MAY DROP BELOW 1/4 MILE DUE TO FALLING AND
BLOWING SNOW. THE STRONG WINDS AND WEIGHT OF SNOW ON TREE LIMBS
MAY DOWN POWER LINES AND COULD CAUSE SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES.
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AND MAY MAKE TRAVEL TREACHEROUS
AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING ON US HIGHWAY 2 NEAR MARIAS PASS.
FOR MAJOR WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS, EXPECT CONSIDERABLE DISRUPTIONS
TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES. DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE TRAVELING
CONDITIONS. AVOID TRAVEL IN THE IMPACTED AREAS IF POSSIBLE.
WIDESPREAD CLOSURES AND DISRUPTIONS TO INFRASTRUCTURE MAY OCCUR.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS ARE A CONCERN FOR US
HIGHWAY 2 EAST OF ESSEX TO MARIAS PASS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING FROM HEAVY SNOW RATES AND STRONG WIND GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF 40 MPH. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE RISING WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING, REACHING AS HIGH AS 4,000 TO 4,500 FEET.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.
PERSONS SHOULD CONSIDER DELAYING ALL TRAVEL. IF TRAVEL IS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY, DRIVE WITH EXTREME CAUTION. CONSIDER TAKING A WINTER
STORM KIT ALONG WITH YOU, INCLUDING SUCH ITEMS AS TIRE CHAINS,
BOOSTER CABLES, FLASHLIGHT, SHOVEL, BLANKETS AND EXTRA CLOTHING.
ALSO TAKE WATER, A FIRST AID KIT, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD HELP
YOU SURVIVE IN CASE YOU BECOME STRANDED.
DO NOT TOUCH DOWNED LINES AND REPORT ANY POWER OUTAGES TO YOUR
ELECTRIC COMPANY. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED DUE TO SLICK ROADWAYS
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES.
MTZ006-102100-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WS.A.0002.260312T0000Z-260314T1800Z/
BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS-
1235 PM MDT MON MAR 9 2026
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING ABOVE 5000 FEET...
* WHAT...HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE ABOVE 5000 FEET. THERE
IS A CHANCE OF MAJOR WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS. TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 1 TO 3 FEET. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH,
CLIMBING TO 60 TO 80 MPH ALONG MOUNTAIN RIDGETOPS AND CRESTS.
* WHERE...HIGHWAY 93 SULA TO LOST TRAIL PASS AND LOLO PASS.
* WHEN...FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
* IMPACTS...VISIBILITIES MAY DROP BELOW 1/4 MILE DUE TO FALLING AND
BLOWING SNOW. THE STRONG WINDS AND WEIGHT OF SNOW ON TREE LIMBS
MAY DOWN POWER LINES AND COULD CAUSE SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES.
WHITEOUT AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN BACKCOUNTRY AREAS
AND MAY MAKE TRAVEL TREACHEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING.
FOR MAJOR WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS, EXPECT CONSIDERABLE DISRUPTIONS
TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES. DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE TRAVELING
CONDITIONS. AVOID TRAVEL IN THE IMPACTED AREAS IF POSSIBLE.
WIDESPREAD CLOSURES AND DISRUPTIONS TO INFRASTRUCTURE MAY OCCUR.
STRONG WINDS COULD CAUSE TREE DAMAGE.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE CLIMBING WEDNESDAY INTO
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, REACHING AS HIGH AS 5,000 FEET NEAR LOLO PASS
AND 6,000 FEET NEAR LOST TRAIL PASS. THE WORST TRAVEL CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING PERIODS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.
PERSONS SHOULD CONSIDER DELAYING ALL TRAVEL. IF TRAVEL IS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY, DRIVE WITH EXTREME CAUTION. CONSIDER TAKING A WINTER
STORM KIT ALONG WITH YOU, INCLUDING SUCH ITEMS AS TIRE CHAINS,
BOOSTER CABLES, FLASHLIGHT, SHOVEL, BLANKETS AND EXTRA CLOTHING.
ALSO TAKE WATER, A FIRST AID KIT, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD HELP
YOU SURVIVE IN CASE YOU BECOME STRANDED.
DO NOT TOUCH DOWNED LINES AND REPORT ANY POWER OUTAGES TO YOUR
ELECTRIC COMPANY. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED DUE TO SLICK ROADWAYS
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES.
AL
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