Expect a foot of snow

After receiving just a trace of moisture in the last two weeks, snow and rain starting Sunday night is expected to drop a significant amount of precipitation in north-central Montana in the next few days. Snow and rain dropped just a trace of moisture in Havre by Monday morning, with another storm dropping less than a tenth-of-an-inch by this morning. That changed today, with rain and sleet turning into a heavy snowstorm starting just before 8 a.m. in Havre, turning the sidewalks white by 8:30 a.m., and up to 15 inches total expected in Havre by Wednesday. The forecast is for the entire region, with the Rocky Mountain Front expected to receive nearly 20 inches of accumulation, and snow forecast with accumulations of a foot or more also expected from Chester to Harlem and Big Sandy. The northeastern part of the state has some snow in its forecast, although most forecasts east of Blaine County including south to Billings and Miles City are primarily for rain, with snow accumulations of an inch or so possible. The middle to western part of the state, however, also is expected to see accumulations, with Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman, Missoula, Kalispell and Dillon all expected to see 6 to 12 inches or more of snow. The storm could turn around what was looking to be a dry spring. Monday Havre was far short of its normal yearly precipitation of 1.76 inches, with .91 inches recorded this year. The weather is expected to be dry and warmer later in the week. After a low in Havre forecast at 27 tonight with a high Wednesday forecast at 37, the high Thursday is expected to be 52 degrees and the highs Friday and Saturday at 62.