High wind warning for Veterans Day

a High wind warning In effect for the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains (west of I-15) from 5 a.m. Saturday through 5 a.m. Sunday. Sustained wind speeds are between 35 and 45 mph, with gusts likely reaching 80 mph.

a High wind warning It is in effect on the plains/mountains east of I-15 from 11 a.m. Saturday until 11 a.m. Sunday. Sustained wind speeds are between 25 and 40 mph, with gusts of up to 60 mph possible.

a Wind advice Effective for locations above 4,000 feet in western Montana from 8 a.m. Saturday until 3 a.m. Sunday. Sustained wind speeds are between 30 and 40 mph, with gusts likely reaching 50 mph.

a Winter weather advice Effective for Western Glacier County and Western Pondera County from 5 a.m. Saturday until 11 a.m. Sunday. Between 4 and 8 inches of snow is expected to accumulate in Marias Pass, with higher amounts expected above pass level. Snowfall will also be an issue as winds will reach 75 mph.

Winds will increase later tonight and tomorrow morning. Winds are expected to be widespread tomorrow afternoon into tomorrow evening, with a slight decrease in winds later tomorrow night. When winds are strongest, sustained wind speeds will be between 25 and 45 mph, and gusts of up to 80 mph are possible along and near the Rocky Mountain Front, while gusts of up to 60 mph are possible In other places.

Northeast Montana will not experience windy conditions until tomorrow evening/night. In the valleys, including Helena Valley, winds won’t be as strong as they will be elsewhere, but it will still be gusty with wind speeds likely to exceed 40 mph. The winds tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow evening will be southwesterly or westerly in most locations.

Skies will be mostly clear tonight, with increasing cloud cover during the second half of the night. It will also be cold tonight with lows in the upper mid 20s and low to mid 30s in most locations. We will then see partly cloudy skies tomorrow with snow/rain in the Rockies and along the Rocky Mountain Front, especially during the evening hours. East of the Rocky Mountains/Rocky Mountain Front, some scattered rain and snow is possible tomorrow, but most locations will remain dry. It will also be warmer tomorrow than it has been over the past few days with highs in the mid to upper 40s and low to mid 50s in most locations.

On Sunday, we will have partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies, mainly dry conditions, and pleasant temperatures with highs in the 50s to mid 50s in a lot of locations. We will also see a decrease in winds on Sunday, with gusty winds (possibly over 40 mph) during the morning giving way to a lighter breeze during the afternoon and evening.

Temperatures are expected to be well above average for this time of year on Monday, with highs in the mid to upper 50s and low to mid 60s. We will also see partly cloudy skies and dry conditions on Monday. There will also be a breeze on Monday with sustained wind speeds between 10 and 20 mph.

On Tuesday, skies will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny with some scattered showers. Then, scattered rain will fall on Wednesday as a disturbance passes through our area. We will also see partly cloudy skies on Wednesday. Most of the precipitation that falls at lower elevations during these two days will be in the form of rain, but some snow may mix with this rain at times. In the mountains, most of the rain that falls on these two days will be in the form of snow. Then we will see lower clouds on Thursday with a slight chance of snow and rain, generally through the morning, as Wednesday’s disturbances leave our area.

Tuesday through Thursday, temperatures will remain above average for this time of year, with high temperatures generally in the upper-mid 40s and low to mid-50s, with Thursday being the coldest day. It will also be breezy on these three days with sustained wind speeds between 10 and 25 mph, with gusts possible of up to 40 mph.

Mostly sunny skies, dry conditions and above-average temperatures (highs in the upper 40s and low to mid 50s) are expected on Friday as high pressure will take over our weather. It will also be breezy again on Friday with sustained wind speeds between 10 and 20 mph.