Odds of a white Christmas aren't looking good

The odds of a really white Christmas aren’t looking good. The National Weather Service in Missoula is saying the best chance of measurable snow is tonight with a half-inch to an inch by morning. Higher elevations could see more, but downsloping winds will stymie valley snow.

Right now Columbia Falls has no snow on the ground so even that will barely cover the grass. Rain earlier this week melted what little snow the area had on the ground.

After that, there’s a chance of very light snow Sunday into Monday, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Conlan said Thursday.

“I think there’s a possibility (of a white Christmas) but its getting very slim,” he said.

It should be cold enough for snow, with highs in the 30s to start the weekend, falling into the 20s by next week.

With an El Nino winter in apparent full force, the region’s snowpack is also well below average. The Flathead River Basin’s snowpack is just 80 percent of average. Some areas, like Badger Pass, which is just south of Marias Pass, are just 65 percent of average, while the Noisy Basin on the Swan Front is 92 percent — the highest snow water equivalent of any of the remote stations.