162
FXUS65 KMSO 212113
AFDMSO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
213 PM MST SAT DEC 21 2024
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- RISK FOR FREEZING RAIN THIS EVENING AND ON MONDAY ACROSS
PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST AND WEST-CENTRAL MONTANA VALLEYS
THE NEXT WEAK DISTURBANCE IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR STEP OF THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS AFTERNOON. THIS FEATURE WILL PUSH ACROSS THE
REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. SNOW LEVELS ARE
FAIRLY HIGH FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR, MAINLY LIMITING SNOW TO THE
HIGHER TERRAIN. THE MAJORITY OF THE VALLEYS ARE ANTICIPATED TO
HAVE TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING, BUT A FEW VALLEYS ACROSS
NORTHWEST MONTANA ARE EXPERIENCING TEMPERATURES BELOW 32 DEGREES
THIS AFTERNOON. THESE LOCATIONS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EXPERIENCE A
PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN, SUCH AS HWY 93 NORTH OF KALISPELL, HWY 2
BETWEEN LIBBY TO MARION, AND HWY 200 FROM HERON TO THOMPSON
FALLS.
THE NEXT DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY, ONCE
AGAIN BRINGING LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THE
MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS,
WHILE THE VALLEYS EXPERIENCE A WINTRY MIX.
THIS ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES FROM CHRISTMAS ONWARD. THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE
MONTANA/IDAHO BORDER COULD HAVE FAIRLY STEADY SNOW THROUGH THE
WEEKEND, WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME IMPACTS TO HOLIDAY TRAVEL. SNOW
LEVELS WILL LOWER DURING THIS PERIOD, WHICH SHOULD ALLOW SNOW TO
FALL IN THE VALLEYS. IF YOUR LOCATION DOES NOT ALREADY HAVE SNOW
ON THE GROUND, THE PROBABILITY OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS WILL BE
EXTREMELY LOW.
AVIATION
MOISTURE STREAMING IN FROM THE WEST WILL CONTINUE TO
MOISTEN THE ATMOSPHERE, PRODUCING A RAIN/SNOW MIX AT KGPI, KMSO,
AND KHRF LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION
TYPE MAY BRIEFLY TRANSITION TO FREEZING DRIZZLE AT KGPI FOR A
WINDOW OF TIME THIS EVENING BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO ALL RAIN,
HOWEVER CONFIDENCE IN THE OCCURRENCE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE IS LOW AT
THIS TIME. WITH SNOW LEVELS EXPECTED TO RISE ACROSS THE MAJORITY
OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES, MOST TERMINALS WILL EXPERIENCE A MIX OF
RAIN AND SNOW AND THEN TRANSITION TO RAIN AND FOG BY SUNDAY
MORNING. PRECIPITATION, ALONG WITH REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY AND
CEILING, WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY AT KMSO, KGPI, AND KHRF,
WITH LOWER CONFIDENCE FOR KBTM AND KSMN.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
ID...NONE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page