The list of flood and winter weather watches associated with excessive precipitation continues to grow.
The incoming ‘atmospheric river’ is bringing 200% - 300% of normal moisture into the northern Rockies this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Flooding is possible in western Montana’s Flathead, Mission, Missoula and Bitterroot valleys, as well as the Kootenai, Cabinet and Lower Clark Fork regions. Flood watches are in effect from Saturday evening through Monday afternoon.
In southwest Montana rain and snowmelt runoff will likely cause smaller streams and rivers to swell to near or above bank-full Saturday through Monday.
The possibility of heavy, wet snow accumulations above 5,000 feet has prompted winter storm watches to be issued early next week for the Rocky Mountain Front and the West Glacier regions.
Those watches are in effect from Monday evening through late Tuesday night.