Powerful winds in the weekend forecast
<p>Photo by Matt Baldwin - The mountains will see a lot of wind and a lot of snow as a new weather front moves into Northwest Montana.</p>
In 2006, wind gusts at Logan Pass in Glacier National Park reached a whopping 133 mph. The Park and high country areas across Montana and Idaho could see similar conditions starting tonight, Friday, Jan. 10, and continuing into Saturday, the National Weather Service in Missoula is forecasting.
The Flathead Valley is expected to see wind gusts in the 50s and 60s tonight and into Saturday. Mountain passes should expect whiteout conditions, including Marias Pass.
Mountain passes further south, including Lost Trail Pass, could see one to two feet of snow and blizzard conditions as the weather front blows through.
Temperatures are expected to be warm ahead of the front, with highs in the 40s and even close to 50 in Missoula. Precipitation will fall first as rain and then transition to snow as temperatures drop into the 20s and 30s by Sunday. High winds will cause problems with trees, power lines and high profile vehicles, including semi trucks.
Snow bands should set up Sunday, with a few inches in the valleys and a foot or more in the mountains. The high winds and snow are also expected to ramp up avalanche danger in the mountains.
Temperatures aren’t expected to cool significantly, however. Highs will remain in 30s through next week, and it will remain breezy through Monday. By Tuesday, winds should diminish with a chance of rain or snow.