124
FXUS65 KMSO 251059
AFDMSO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
359 AM MST SUN JAN 25 2026
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- COLD TEMPERATURES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
- HIGH PRESSURE AT TIMES THIS WEEK, BUT MORE UNSETTLED BY NEXT
WEEKEND.
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL REMAIN BELOW
SEASONAL AVERAGES THANKS TO THE CURRENT MODIFIED ARCTIC AIR MASS
IN PLACE. HIGHS TODAY MAY STRUGGLE TODAY, MIRRORING YESTERDAY'S
PERFORMANCE. WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT, TEMPERATURES WILL
FALL TO THE SINGLE DIGITS IN THE WESTERN MONTANA VALLEYS AND LEMHI
COUNTY. SEVERAL BELOW ZERO READINGS WILL BE POSSIBLE.
THE PATTERN SHIFTS EARLY IN THE WEEK AS A HIGH-AMPLITUDE RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INLAND FROM THE WEST COAST, BUT WITH PERIODIC
SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH. THE FIRST ONE ON MONDAY WILL BRING A
FAIR AMOUNT OF CLOUDS BY THE AFTERNOON WHICH COULD KEEP HIGHS FROM
REACHING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
BY TUESDAY, THE RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE AREA WILL REINFORCE THE
DRY, STAGNANT PATTERN WE HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT JANUARY. LOW CLOUDS
OR FOG FORMATION IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT. THOUGH THIS RIDGE MAY
BE MORE LIKE A "DIRTY RIDGE" WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS
WOULD BRING WEAK SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH THE REGION, BRINGING
INCREASED CLOUD COVER AND ROUNDS OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION.
AVIATION
EXPECT COLDER THAN AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE
REGION TODAY WITH MAINLY VFR FLYING. A FEW LOCATIONS MAY HANG ONTO
SOME MID-CLOUD ALONG THE DIVIDE. WITH CLEARING SKIES TONIGHT,
TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO TO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW
ZERO ACROSS WESTERN MONTANA. PATCHY VALLEY FOG IS POSSIBLE ACROSS
NORTHWEST MONTANA AREAS. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY,
THOUGH A WEAK WAVE WILL BRING MORE MID-CLOUD BY THE AFTERNOON.
WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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