Advisory Archive
2010 has started with a bang. Since yesterday morning the mountains near West Yellowstone and Cooke City received 6-8 inches of snow, the mountains near Big Sky received 3-6 inches, and the mountains near Bozeman got 3 inches. This morning temperatures are in the teens F with ridgetop winds blowing 10-20 mph from the W and SW. Today temperatures will climb to near 20 degrees F and winds will remain the same but increase this afternoon as snowfall returns. By tomorrow morning the mountains near West Yellowstone will get 4-6 inches of snow, the mountains near Cooke City and Big Sky will get 2-4 inches, and the mountains near Bozeman will receive 1-3 inches.
In the past 24 hours most areas received about 3 inches of snow with slightly less falling in the Bridger Range. This morning temperatures were near 10 degrees F, and ridgetop winds were blowing 10-30 mph generally from the west. These winds have been confined to ridgetops with much calmer winds blowing at lower elevations. Today, temperatures will reach the mid teens F, and this afternoon winds increase, blowing 20-30 mph from the WSW. Snowfall will return tonight with 5-7 inches accumulating by tomorrow morning in the mountains near Big Sky, West Yellowstone, and Cooke City while the mountains near Bozeman will receive 2-4 inches. In all areas expect strong winds with this snowfall.
The mountains around West Yellowstone and Cooke City received an inch of snow last night while a trace dusted the mountains to Big Sky. Winds are blowing west to southwest at 15-20 mph with temperatures near 10F. Under cloudy skies the southern mountains will get another inch as temperatures warm only a few degrees and wind speeds remain the same. Unfortunately, the disturbances rolling through are low energy, pathetic systems.
The last two days have been stunning with lots of sun, mountain temperatures in the high teens and calm winds. Today a small disturbance will bring increasing clouds, winds at 15-20 mph out of the southwest and temperatures near 20F. There's not much moisture or energy associated with this system and I only expect a trace of snow near West Yellowstone by tomorrow morning.
A split jet stream has produced a large high pressure system that has now encompassed the entire state of Montana. High pressure systems involve large masses of air that rotate clockwise (in the northern hemisphere) and result in sinking air and stable conditions. High pressure traps cold air in the valleys and keeps warmer air aloft making for striking temperature inversions. This trapped cold air can produce dense valley fog and even light precipitation in the valleys as moisture is condensed out of the air.
Southwest Montana will remain under high pressure for at least the next 24 hours making for clear skies and calm conditions. Winds will be light along the ridgetops at 5-10 mph out of the S-SE. Valley temperatures will remain cold with lows in the single digits and highs around twenty. In the mountains, temperatures will feel almost tropical with highs in the upper twenties to low thirties and lows around ten degrees. It looks like we will be moving into an unsettled weather pattern starting Wednesday and continuing into the latter part of the week.
Well, if it's not going to be snowing it might as well be sunny and bluebird. No new snow has fallen in our forecast area over the past 24 hours. Clear skies and sunshine is what southwest Montana can expect over the next few days as a strong ridge of high pressure dominates over the region. This weather pattern will keep ridgetop winds light at 5-10 mph out of the E-SE. Heavy inversions will continue to develop over southwest Montana, producing areas of dense valley fog. In the mountains, clear skies will allow for radiational cooling keeping nighttime lows in the single digits while daytime highs will climb close to 30 F degrees.
A moist northerly flow has produced a nice white Christmas and kept light snow falling over the southwest Montana through yesterday afternoon. In the past 24 hours Santa delivered 1-2 inches of new snow to the Bridgers and northern Madison Range while the Gallatin Range, southern Madison Range and mountains around Cooke City picked up a trace to 1 inch. Winds have been moderate out of the W-NW at 15-25 mph. This northerly flow is the tail end of a massive low pressure system that has been hammering the mid-west.
As this low pressure system is pushed to the east, a ridge of high pressure will build over the entire state of Montana bringing clear skies and calm winds through the weekend. For today, average seasonal temperatures will be the norm with daytime highs hitting 25-30 F degrees and nighttime lows dropping close to zero. Winds will be light out of the E-NE at 5-10 mph. This strong ridge of high pressure will dominate our weather pattern for the next three to five days making for some great weather to get out and play with the new toys.
Ho Ho Ho! Perhaps some powder hounds haven't been too naughty and just nice enough to get a trace of snow near Big Sky and one inch of snow near Cooke City. Cloudy skies this morning kept temperatures from getting too cold and were near 10 degrees F at 4 a.m. Winds have remained strong blowing from the NW at 15-30 mph. Today winds will continue from the NW and decrease slightly to 10-20 mph with temperatures climbing into the mid teens F. Mostly cloudy skies will produce some snow flurries with only a trace to 1 inch of additional snow accumulating by tomorrow morning.
Overnight temperatures dropped to near zero degrees F, and winds increased to 15-30 mph from the W and NW. In the Bridger Range at 4 a.m. winds were blowing at all elevations with gusts reaching 47 mph in the base area of Bridger Bowl. In the past 24hrs 4-5 inches of low density snow fell in the mountains near Big Sky and Bozeman. Other areas received 2-4 inches. Today, temperatures will only climb to 10 degrees F, and winds will continue blowing 15-30 mph from the W and NW.
At 6 a.m. the southern mountains have an inch of new snow with closer to three in the north. Ridgetop winds are currently blowing 15-20 mph out of the west to northwest and will continue today. An arctic airmass will further intrude into our region and drive temperatures to below zero tonight and drop another 1-2 inches of snow this morning. The northwest flow should deliver even high higher amounts in the Bridger Range, but maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. This moist system will depart later today leaving us with sunny skies and warming, seasonal temperatures through the weekend.
