Cold, blustery Easter weekend forecasted

The National Weather Service in Missoula is forecasting a cold, snowy Easter Sunday, with conditions lasting through Monday.

A colder weather system with plenty of moisture will spread across north-central Idaho and western Montana on Sunday through Monday. Generally brisk, breezy, wet conditions are expected across the board.

Snow over mountain pass highways will be the biggest concern for those traveling during the holiday weekend. Light snow or graupel showers are expected in the valleys, accumulating mostly on grassy surfaces.

Estimated 48-hour snowfall amounts on highway passes include 1 to 3 inches on Marias, Macdonald and Homestake; 2 to 5 inches on Lost Trail; 2 to 4 inches on Lolo; and 5 to 7 inches on Lookout.

Precipitation is forecasted to begin late Sunday morning for parts of Idaho and by late Sunday into Monday morning for western Montana.