Heaviest part of predicted storm expected to mostly miss this area

Snow is still predicted to hit this part of the Golden Triangle Thursday and Friday, but with the path of the storm now expected to hit mostly west, south and southeast, Havre might have to wait a bit to set a new record amount of snowfall for the year — but maybe not.

National Weather Service predicts a storm will sweep through Montana Thursday, with a winter storm watch from Glacier and Teton counties spreading through Chouteau County and points south and east into Wyoming and South Dakota.

But the prediction on heavy winter weather in Hill and Liberty counties has been downgraded, with the storm watch not on in those counties or Blaine County.

The forecast now calls for a 20 percent chance of precipitation in Havre tonight, witih a 30 percent chance of snow Thursday after noon, with little or no accumulation expected. Thursday night’s forecast for Havre calls for a 40 percent chance of snow, with less than an inch accumulation expected, and a slight chance of snow Friday with little or no accumulation expected.

Although no winter watch is in effect in Liberty County, the snowfall is expected to be slightly heavier, with 2 to 4 inches expected Thursday and 1 to 2 inches of snow possible Thursday night, with another half-an-inch possible Friday.

The forecast for northern Blaine County calls for less than half an inch of snow to accumulate Thursday, with southern Blaine County expected to see between 2 to less than 5 inches from Thursday through Friday.

The Big Sandy area is expected to see more. The storm watch, in effect from Thursday morning through Friday morning, says moderate to heavy snow is possible. The forecast for Big Sandy predicts from 2.5 to 6.5 inches of accumulation is possible.

The forecast has dropped the chance of Havre, listed by Weather Channel as having the worst 2017-18 winter in America, of setting a new record for yearly snowfall this week.

With the snow last weekend, Havre is less than an inch away from matching the record of snow from July 1 through June 30, set at 93.4 inches in 1981. Havre is nine-tenths of an inch behind, with 92.5 inches recorded.

Weather Channel’s forecast gives a better chance of setting a new record, with its forecast for Havre calling for 2 to 4 inches for Havre by Thursday night.