Bitter cold again on the way

December may have started out balmy, but 2021 sure ended with bone-chillng cold. And there's more on the way.

After a quick shot of welcomed warm air this past weekend, frigid arctic air is returning to Havre and the Hi-Line.

First off, however, 2021 ended in a wild December.

After a fairly uneventful fall, December began with back-to-back days of temperatures nearly 30 degrees above normal. However, for the month, Havre wound up averaging a whopping eight degrees below normal due to arctic air that plunged into the region just before Christmas. For nearly two weeks, lows were well-below zero, and, at one point, the daytime high only climbed above zero once in a six-day stretch. The worst of the weather came on the final night of the year as Havre reached a frosty -31 on New Years Eve.

And the cold is coming back.

The first two days of 2022 did bring a respite as temperatures began to climb on New Year's night thanks to gusty southwest winds. At 8 p.m. the Havre City-county Airport recorded a 34-degree swing with a temp of -17 at 7 p.m. rising to 17 above by 8 p.m.

Jan. 2 ended up recording a high of 38 degrees, which was 17 degrees above normal for that date.

The warmth, however, won't last long. According to the National Weather Service in Great Falls, Havre is under a wind chill warning from tonight until Thursday, with a low of -11 tonight, followed by a high of -5 Tuesday. Tuesday night will see a low of -23, followed by a high of just -12 Wednesday and a low of -28 Wednesday night. Thursday will see a high of -5 with a low of -13. There are also slight chances of snow for tonight, Thursday and Thursday night, with Havre also under a winter weather advisory for tonight.

As for snowfall, Havre was slightly above average for the month of December in terms of measurable snow, but is still below average for the season. However, that too is expected to change in the coming months.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its January outlook, and Havre and the Hi-Line are expected to see "much below" average temperatures and "well above" average precipitation for the next 30 days, as a typical La Niña winter has now set in, La Niña winters typically bring colder, wetter weather to the northwest and high plains of the U.S., with warm and dry weather persisting in most of the southern U.S. So far this season, Havre, and the Hi-Line are not only experiencing a typical La Niña winter, but also shots of the Polar Vortex at the same time.