Another blast of wintery weather is forecast for parts of western Montana later this week. It could bring heavy snow, strong winds and some dangerously icy conditions with it, said National Weather Service Meteorologist LeeAnn Allegretto.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s another Arctic front – unseasonably late, but here it is," she said.
Allegretto said northwest Montana will bear the brunt of the winter blast starting Thursday evening.
“However there’s a pretty good chance this Arctic front will make its way through the Flathead Valley, down towards the I-90 corridor and then into the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys,” she said.
Thursday afternoon will see seasonal temperatures and scattered showers, but forecasters say temperatures could drop into the teens overnight. That could lead to flash freezing and black ice by Friday morning.
Valley snowfall might range from 3 to 6 inches in northwest Montana, with 1 to 3 inches possible further south.
The cold, wet, windy weather is expected to last through Saturday and poses a risk to newborn livestock.