628
FXUS65 KTFX 012047
AFDTFX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
147 PM MST SUN FEB 1 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- IT WILL BE WARM THROUGH THIS WEEK WITH A SLIGHT COOLDOWN ON
MONDAY.
- IT WILL BE WINDY AT TIMES THROUGH FRIDAY WITH THE STRONGEST
WINDS TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING.
- IT WILL BE DRY TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WITH LIGHT
PRECIPITATION TONIGHT AND MONDAY.
DISCUSSION
- METEOROLOGICAL OVERVIEW:
THIS AFTERNOON THERE WILL BE AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE OVER NORTH-CENTRAL,
CENTRAL, AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA. THIS WILL BRING WARM AND MOSTLY
DRY CONDITIONS TO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY
THIS EVENING THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE FLATTENS AND AN UPPER-LEVEL
SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES OVER THE AREA. THIS COMBINED WITH A
MODERATELY STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL LEAD TO WINDY
CONDITIONS ACROSS NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS
ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. WINDY CONDITIONS WILL LINGER INTO
MONDAY MORNING. WITH THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING OVER THE AREA IT
WILL BRING ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS TO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH-CENTRAL
MONTANA SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. IT WILL ALSO BRING
ISOLATED RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS TO PORTIONS OF THE LOWER-ELEVATIONS OF
NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE ALONG THE HI-LINE.
ON MONDAY THE UPPER-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH REMAINS OVER NORTH-
CENTRAL, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA IN THE MORNING BEFORE AN
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD BACK IN MONDAY AFTERNOON. AS A
RESULT MONDAY WILL BE THE COOLEST DAY OF THIS FORECAST PERIOD.
MONDAY EVENING TO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING THERE WILL BE ANOTHER
ROUND OF LIGHT PRIMARILY MOUNTAIN PRECIPITATION.
TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER NORTH-
CENTRAL, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA. THIS WILL ALLOW
TEMPERATURES TO WARM UP EACH DAY THROUGH THURSDAY WITH MOSTLY DRY
WEATHER. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAYS OF THIS
FORECAST PERIOD WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES APPROACHING OR EXCEEDING RECORD
HIGHS FOR MANY LOCATIONS. TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING
THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL INCREASE WHICH WILL BRING
ANOTHER ROUND OF WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. ON
SATURDAY THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE FLATTENS WHICH COOLS TEMPERATURES
DOWN SLIGHTLY -IG
- FORECAST CONFIDENCE & SCENARIOS:
FOR THE WINDS TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING THERE IS AROUND A 30 - 70%
CHANCE FOR WIND GUSTS OF 75 MPH OR GREATER IN ISOLATED LOCATIONS
ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. THERE IS UP TO A 40 - 60% CHANCE FOR
WIND GUSTS OF 55 MPH OR GREATER ALONG THE PLAINS WEST OF I-15 AND
THE WIND PRONE AREAS OF JUDITH BASIN AND FERGUS COUNTY. AS A RESULT OF
THE LOW PROBABILITIES AND ISOLATED NATURE OF WHERE THE HIGHER WIND
GUSTS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND LOW CONFIDENCE IN
A MOUNTAIN WAVE BRINGING DOWN THE STRONGER GUSTS A HIGH WIND WARNING
WAS NOT ISSUED AT THIS TIME. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED BY
FUTURE SHIFTS. FOR THE WINDS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING THERE
IS A 50 - 70% CHANCE FOR WIND GUSTS OF 55 MPH OR GREATER ALONG THE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT.
ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THERE IS GREATER THAN A 80% CHANCE FOR
HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 60 DEGREES OR GREATER ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH-
CENTRAL MONTANA. ON WEDNESDAY THERE IS A 30 - 50% CHANCE FOR HIGH
TEMPERATURES OF 60 DEGREES OR GREATER ACROSS THE VALLEYS OF
SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA. ON WEDNESDAY THERE IS A 40 - 80% CHANCE FOR
HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 65 DEGREES OR GREATER FROM SHELBY TO GREAT
FALLS TO LEWISTOWN. ON THURSDAY THERE IS GREATER THAN AN 80% CHANCE
FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 60 DEGREES OR GREATER IN THE VALLEYS OF
SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA. ON THURSDAY FROM SHELBY TO GREAT FALLS TO
LEWISTOWN THERE IS A 60 - 90% CHANCE FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 65
DEGREES OR GREATER. ON THURSDAY THERE IS A 30 - 50% CHANCE FOR HIGH
TEMPERATURES OF 65 DEGREES OR GREATER IN THE VALLEYS OF SOUTHWESTERN
MONTANA. ON THURSDAY FROM SHELBY TO GREAT FALLS TO LEWISTOWN THERE IS A
30 - 60% CHANCE FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 70 DEGREES OR GREATER. ON
FRIDAY ACROSS MOST OF THE LOWER-ELEVATIONS OF NORTH-CENTRAL, CENTRAL,
AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA THERE IS GREATER THAN A 50% CHANCE FOR HIGH
TEMPERATURES OF 60 DEGREES OR GREATER. ON FRIDAY FROM GREAT FALLS
TO LEWISTOWN ALONG THE MONTANA HIGHWAY 200/US HIGHWAY 87 CORRIDOR
AND ACROSS THE GALLATIN VALLEY THERE IS GREATER THAN A 55% CHANCE
FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 65 DEGREES OR GREATER. ON FRIDAY FROM
GREAT FALLS TO LEWISTOWN ALONG THE MONTANA HIGHWAY 200/US HIGHWAY
87 CORRIDOR THERE IS A 30 - 50% CHANCE FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 70
DEGREES OR GREATER. -IG
AVIATION
01/18Z TAF PERIOD
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE
0118/0218 TAF PERIOD, BUT CIGS WILL BEGIN TO LOWER BEYOND 00Z
MONDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE BEGINS TO MOVE OVER THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES. THIS INCREASE IN MID-LEVEL CLOUD COVER WILL LEAD
TO MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, MOST NOTABLY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE. WHILE A FEW LIKE RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS CAN'T BE RULED OUT
BEYOND 06Z MONDAY CONFIDENCE IN ANY PRECIPITATION BEING REALIZED
AT A GIVE TERMINAL WAS TOO LOW TO MENTION. OTHERWISE SOUTHWEST TO
WEST SURFACE WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS OVER THE PLAINS OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA, WITH
INCREASING INSTANCES OF MOUNTAIN WAVE TURBULENCE AND THE POTENTIAL
FOR LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR. - MOLDAN
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
GTF 36 52 33 54 / 20 10 10 10
CTB 34 48 32 51 / 20 10 10 10
HLN 34 49 32 51 / 10 0 20 10
BZN 26 47 27 48 / 10 0 20 10
WYS 8 35 13 36 / 10 0 20 20
DLN 24 45 27 49 / 10 0 10 10
HVR 29 50 28 48 / 20 20 10 10
LWT 33 47 29 47 / 20 30 10 10
TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
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