More wind, snow in forecast; harsher weather east and west

The up-and-down weather in north-central Montana is expected to continue this week, with wind warnings in effect, more snow in the forecast and cooler temperatures predicted to hit again by the end of the week.

This while blizzard and avalanche warnings are in effect further west on the Rocky Mountain Front, with high levels of snow and whiteout conditions predicted for Browning and Marias Pass, and another major winter storm is expected to hit from the Dakotas through the East Coast.

National Weather Service again has a wind warning in effect from the Rocky Mountain Front through Hill and Blaine counties and through Fergus County, lasting through 6 tonight. The wind speeds are expected to be in the 20s in Hill and Blaine counties, with gusts into the 40 mph range. Farther west, the gusts are expected to hit up to 70 mph, making travel hazardous for high-profile vehicles, the warning says.

Temperatures in this region are expected to drop with highs in the 20s late in the week, and a chance of more snow, along with some rain, through the week.

The predictions are for a continuation of highly variable weather in the region. Lows in the 40s below zero in this region in early December made north-central Montana the cold spot in the nation. That was followed by temperatures in the 50s in mid-January and another stretch of below-zero weather starting the end of January before the mercury in thermometers again crept up to readings in the 40s last week.

The snow keeps falling, then melting off, in north-central Montana, with the reporting station at the Havre City-County Airport recording two-and-a-half feet of snow since Dec. 1 and more than three feet of snow since July.

The snow this week on the Hi-Line is separate from another major storm hitting farther east. The storm named “Rex” by Weather Channel is expected to drop several more inches on states from the eastern edge of the Dakotas into Nebraska and Minnesota on through to the East Coast.

The storm on the northern Rocky Mountain Front is expected to drop two to four inches of snow in lower elevations and up to 10 inches in higher elevations, with the blizzard warning in effect for locations higher than 4,500 feet through 6 tonight, and avalanche warnings in effect until further notice for the mountains in northwest Montana.

In north-central Montana, winds are expected to continue through the week, with gusts in this area into the 20s for miles per hour Tuesday, and AccuWeather.com predicting winds to stay in the teens and gusts into the 20s through late in the week.

Weather Service predicts a chance rain Tuesday turning into snow by Tuesday evening, with a 40 percent chance of precipitation, and more snow possible late Wednesday morning and into Wednesday night. Up to a half-inch of new snow could accumulate each day, Weather Service reports.

Weather Service also predicts a chance of snow showers through Friday, with highs dropping into the 20s from Friday through Sunday and lows in the single digits. No predictions for snow accumulation amounts are listed in the forecast for those days.

AccuWeather predicts up to three inches of new snow Thursday and Friday, and also expects temperatures to drop into the 20s for highs by the weekend before warming back up into the 30s next week.

Weather Channel also expects high temperatures to drop into the 20s, before warming back up into the 30s next week.