411
FXUS65 KMSO 191103
AFDMSO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
403 AM MST THU FEB 19 2026
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- ARCTIC AIR SETTLED IN WESTERN MONTANA.
- QUIET WEEKEND FOLLOWED BY MORE ACTIVE WEATHER NEXT WEEK.
ARCTIC AIR HAS BEEN SETTLING INTO WESTERN MONTANA TONIGHT WITH
MANY VALLEY LOCATIONS BEING IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS THIS
MORNING. A FEW VERY LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUE TO LINGER ACROSS
NORTHWEST MONTANA CAUSING SOME MINOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. TONIGHT A
DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO PUSH ACROSS THE REGION ENHANCING THE
SNOW ACTIVITY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE RELATIVELY LIGHT WITH
THE VALLEYS POTENTIALLY GETTING UP TO AN INCH OF NEW SNOW AND THE
HIGHER TERRAIN INCLUDING MOUNTAIN PASSES RECEIVING 1 TO 3 INCHES
BY FRIDAY MORNING.
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING OVER THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES THIS WEEKEND ALLOWING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VALLEY
INVERSIONS. THESE INVERSIONS COULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOG
AND STRATUS ACROSS THE REGION ESPECIALLY NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO INTO
NORTHWEST MONTANA.
A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DIG ALONG THE COAST AT THE
START OF NEXT WEEK CAUSING THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW OVER THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES TO BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY. THIS FLOW PATTERN WILL PUMPING
SOME DECENT WARM MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. THE DEVELOPMENT OF
VALLEY INVERSIONS DURING THE WEEKEND ALONG WITH THIS PLUME OF WARM
MOISTURE COULD CAUSE MIXED PRECIPITATION IN THE VALLEYS DURING THE
START OF NEXT WEEK. AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN APPEARS TO PERSIST
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING
BY MID WEEK.
AVIATION
ARCTIC AIR WILL CONTINUE TO SETTLE INTO WESTERN
MONTANA THIS MORNING CAUSING GUSTY EASTERLY AND NORTHERLY WINDS
AT KGPI AND KMSO. THE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH AS THE DAY
PROGRESSES. A FEW LINGER LIGHT SHOWERS WILL PERSIST TODAY
ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA WITH LOW POTENTIAL OF IMPACTS
AT KGPI. A WEAK DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION
TONIGHT CAUSING LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE REGION.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR WEST
GLACIER REGION.
ID...NONE.
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