774 
FXUS65 KMSO 292022
AFDMSO

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
222 PM MDT Tue Oct 29 2013

...Cold Tonight...
...A few rain/snow showers Thursday...

.DISCUSSION...A cold air mass will linger over north central Idaho
and western Montana tonight. Winds have diminished and skies are
either clear and clearing...so there should be quite a bit of
radiational cooling tonight. As such, many areas should see the
coldest temperatures of the fall so far. Where snow is on the
ground, in Butte and Drummond, temperatures may approach zero
overnight.

There should be enough moisture lingering in extreme southern
Lemhi County tonight for a few showers, but only light snow
accumulations.

High pressure will provide dry and stable conditions Wednesday.

The next weather system is due Thursday. This is not an overly
moist system. However, temperatures should be cool enough to
permit a possible mixture of rain/snow in the valleys with the
onset of the scattered precipitation early Thursday (for instance,
Grangeville, Kalispell, Libby, Missoula, Hamilton). Over Lookout,
Whitebird Grade, and Lolo Pass, the precipitation should also start
out as snow early in the day before transition to rain showers. Snow
levels should then rise by mid day. Snow amounts, are expected to be
on the light side (on the order 0.5 to 2 inches) over the mountain
passes.

Weak high pressure should return Friday with generally dry
conditions and near normal temperatures.  

A more energetic cold front is expected to move across the
northern Rockies Saturday into Sunday. This system should deliver
a fair amount of wind, but also significant valley rain showers and
some mountain snow. The air mass should cool sufficiently by
Sunday into Monday to change the precipitation to mostly snow
showers, except in the lowest valleys of north central Idaho.
However, snow accumulations should be on the light side, possibly
moderate in the mountain passes. Temperatures should cool to below
normal by Sunday and Monday.  

&&

.AVIATION...High pressure should produce dry and stable conditions
tonight with two possible small exceptions. First, some moisture
and a few showers should linger in extreme southern Lemhi County
with possible mountain obscuration from about Gilmore Summit
southward. Second, areas of low stratus may develop in the
vicinity of Flathead Lake late tonight and persist into early
Wednesday morning.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...None.
ID...None.
&&

$$

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Missoula.gov
https://www.twitter.com/NWSMissoula