It's beginning to look like Christmas again

Snow hit earlier and heavier than expected in this part of north-central Montana.

Liberty County had been on the edge of a winter weather advisory running through this morning with Northern Chouteau County, Hill County and Blaine County expected to received small amounts of snow mixed with rain over the weekend.

Instead, it started snowing heavily late Thursday morning after rain falling for some time.

In Havre, snow started falling and melting through most of the rest of the day. The National Weather Service report was missing the data for snowfall for Thursday, but even after melting snow was standing three inches deep or deeper in locations in town.

AccuWeather reports snow fell across most of Montana Thursday, with Dupuyer, between Conrad and Browning, receiving the most reported at 16 inches.

The snow continued through the morning, although by late morning it had stopped in Havre.

The forecast for the area predicts rain and more snow likely for today, with chances of rain and rain showers through the weekend and early next week and temperatures in the 40s and creeping back into the 60s by next week.