933
FXUS65 KMSO 260857
AFDMSO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
257 AM MDT SUN APR 26 2026
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- FROST POSSIBLE IN THE MORNINGS THROUGH MID WEEK
- SLOW WARMING TREND WITH LINGERING SHOWERS, ESPECIALLY DURING
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION THIS MORNING MAY
DAMAGE SENSITIVE VEGETATION AND EXPOSED OUTDOOR PLUMBING. FREEZE
WARNINGS AND FROST ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH MID-
MORNING. ALTHOUGH OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE THIS WEEK,
FROST OR FREEZING CONDITIONS REMAIN POSSIBLE EACH MORNING. LIGHT
SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA,
BRINGING SOME LIGHT SNOW PRIMARILY TO THE TERRAIN NEAR THE
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE, BUT ALSO BRIEFLY INTO THE VALLEYS, SUCH AS THE
FLATHEAD VALLEY.
A COOL, NORTHERLY FLOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK,
KEEPING TEMPERATURES BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES. WHILE A GRADUAL
WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED, READINGS WILL LIKELY NOT REACH NORMAL
LEVELS UNTIL WEDNESDAY. THIS PATTERN WILL ALSO SUPPORT DAILY
SCATTERED SHOWERS, PARTICULARLY ACROSS WESTERN MONTANA. THESE
SHOWERS WILL BE MOST WIDESPREAD DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING HOURS, DIMINISHING AFTER SUNSET.
MINOR DISTURBANCES WITHIN THIS FLOW WILL FOCUS MORE PERSISTENT
PRECIPITATION ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE NEAR GLACIER NATIONAL
PARK. TRAVELERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF ISOLATED
SNOW- COVERED ROADS DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT FOR SOUTHWEST MONTANA THIS EVENING,
WHERE HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES, INCLUDING HOMESTAKE AND MACDONALD
PASSES, MAY SEE SNOW ACCUMULATION AND SLICK TRAVEL CONDITIONS.
A SHIFT TOWARD DRIER AND SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED
FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE
REGION WILL LIKELY PUSH TEMPERATURES APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER, THIS PERIOD OF WARMTH APPEARS TEMPORARY, AS
LONG-RANGE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS ANOTHER WEATHER DISTURBANCE MAY
ARRIVE BY NEXT WEEKEND.
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE PROMINENT TODAY, THOUGH
LOCALIZED MVFR/IFR IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED AS SCATTERED RAIN AND
SNOW SHOWERS DEVELOP. ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA
THIS MORNING, SPECIFICALLY IMPACTING KGPI WITH REDUCED CEILINGS
AND VISIBILITY THROUGH 26/1700Z. THIS ACTIVITY WILL THEN SPREAD
ACROSS WESTERN MONTANA AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTH CENTRAL
IDAHO THIS AFTERNOON. DIURNAL HEATING WILL MAXIMIZE SHOWER
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
TERRAIN OBSCURATION AND ICING WILL BE PRIMARY CONCERNS,
PARTICULARLY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND OVER SOUTHWEST
MONTANA PASSES (HOMESTAKE/MACDONALD), WHERE SNOW SHOWERS MAY LEAD
TO SLUSHY ACCUMULATIONS ON RUNWAYS. SURFACE WINDS WILL REMAIN OUT
OF THE NORTHEAST TO EAST TODAY, WITH THE STRONGEST GUSTS FOCUSED
ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA AND THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 8 AM MDT THIS MORNING FOR
BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS...FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS...
KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION...LOWER CLARK FORK REGION...
MISSOULA/BITTERROOT VALLEYS.
ID...FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 8 AM MDT /7 AM PDT/ THIS MORNING FOR
EASTERN LEMHI COUNTY...NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS...
SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS.
FROST ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM MDT /7 AM PDT/ THIS MORNING FOR
OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION...WESTERN LEMHI COUNTY.
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