059
FXUS65 KMSO 261905
AFDMSO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
105 PM MDT SUN OCT 26 2025
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- SNOW LEVELS ARE FALLING FURTHER THIS EVENING, WITH MOUNTAIN PASS
SNOW. LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS BEHIND THE FRONT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND
VALLEYS EARLY MONDAY.
- A RIDGE STARTS BUILDING IN ON MONDAY LEADING TO SOME NICE
WEATHER THIS WEEK.
- THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM LOOKS TO BE NEXT WEEKEND.
SCATTERED MOUNTAIN SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, WITH SNOW LEVELS HOVERING
AROUND 4,000 FEET. MINIMAL IMPACTS ARE ANTICIPATED UNTIL AFTER
SUNSET, AT WHICH TIME MOUNTAIN PASSES ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME
SLICK.
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT, ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL BRING WIDESPREAD GUSTY
WINDS AND MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL. WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND
30 MPH ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT BETWEEN 10 PM AND 4 AM. EXPECT
ANOTHER 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW ABOVE 5,000 FEET ALONG THE MT/ID
BORDER AND IN THE SWAN/MISSION RANGES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. JUST
ENOUGH LINGERING MOISTURE MAY BRING SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS DOWN TO
3,000 FEET IN THE VALLEYS OF WESTERN MONTANA FOR THE MORNING
COMMUTE. ANY IMPACTS TO AREA ROADS WILL BE MINIMAL, IF ANY.
A BUILDING RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE MONDAY AFTERNOON WILL BRING THE
REGION A BREAK FROM THE WET AND BREEZY CONDITIONS FROM TUESDAY
THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL RUN
AROUND NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR, WITH LOW TO MID 40S IN THE
VALLEYS OF WESTERN MONTANA AND THE MID 50S IN NORTH-CENTRAL IDAHO.
THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BREAK DOWN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS
A FAST-MOVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPS SOUTH OUT OF BRITISH
COLUMBIA. THE WAVE WILL BRING INCREASING WESTERLY WINDS AND MORE
LIGHT MOUNTAIN SNOW, ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA.
THE RIDGE WILL QUICKLY RE-ESTABLISH ITSELF BY THURSDAY AND REMAIN
IN PLACE UNTIL THE WEEKEND, WHICH IS WHEN THE NEXT NORTH PACIFIC
COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE REGION. EXPECT ANOTHER
PERIOD OF WET AND WINDY CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND.
AVIATION
SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL BRING BRIEF
PERIODS OF GUSTY WINDS UP TO 20KTS, ALONG WITH LOWERED VISIBILITY
AND CEILINGS TO ALL TERMINALS THROUGH THIS EVENING. OVERNIGHT, A
COLD FRONT WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS OF 25-30 KNOTS AND RAIN/SNOW
SHOWERS TO ALL TERMINALS BETWEEN 27/0500Z AND 27/0900Z. BEHIND
THE FRONT, WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS
WILL BRING SHORT PERIODS OF LOW VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS THROUGH
27/1400Z. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE, WITH LIGHTER WINDS AND PARTLY
CLOUDY CONDITIONS AFTER 1800Z.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON MDT
MONDAY FOR BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS...BUTTE/BLACKFOOT
REGION...KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION...LOWER CLARK FORK
REGION...POTOMAC/SEELEY LAKE REGION...WEST GLACIER REGION.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM MDT /5 PM PDT/ THIS EVENING TO
NOON MDT /11 AM PDT/ MONDAY FOR LOWER HELLS CANYON/SALMON
RIVER REGION...NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS...SOUTHERN
CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS...WESTERN LEMHI COUNTY.
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