Near-normal temps, some snow in the forecast

After severe cold and heavy snow last week and a warm day Sunday, forecasters predict this week to have more normal weather with highs in the 30s and some more snow possible.

The area saw temperatures plunge last week with highs below zero late in the week and heavy snow Monday and Tuesday — Havre saw a record 4.4 inches Tuesday — again blanketing the region with snow.

Temperatures warmed Saturday and were above normal Sunday — Havre saw 42 degrees with the normal value 36 — but are expected to cool this week with highs below freezing before getting back into the 30s by late in the week.

The forecast includes a chance of snow Tuesday through early Wednesday, although no major accumulation is expected, with more snow possible at the end of the week, again with no major accumulation expected.

But this follows a wild ride the last two months.

Last week, after seeing highs in the 40s Sunday, after the snow fell temperatures dropped to sub-zero, with highs below zero in some spots both Wednesday and Thursday and lows colder than minus 10 Wednesday.

Heavy snow in December and early January had blanketed this region in white, with Havre receiving a likely record snowfall in December at 32.7 inches. That hung around for a while, but warm weather in February had just melted most of that off when last week’s storm hit.

The National Weather Service recorded highs in the upper 30s and low 40s in this region for most of the month, with lows fluctuating between single digits and upper 20s, sometimes lower 30s.

Snow depth was listed in Havre at four inches on the first of the month, reducing to 3 inches by Feb. 4, 2 inches Feb. 6, 1 inch Feb. 11, and zero inches Feb. 13, a day with a high of 44 degrees and a low of 30.

This week’s forecast calls for cooler days through Wednesday — highs about 30 today and in the 20s Tuesday and Wednesday — before getting back to 30 or a little warmer Thursday and Friday.

The highs for Saturday and Sunday are expected to be in the upper 20s, possibly 30 or a little more for some locations Saturday.