MISSOULA – Temperatures will be cooler on Thursday with highs in the 20s higher than 30s lower. Light snow will also be possible throughout the day. In the afternoon and evening, heavier flurries may develop, particularly over the higher elevations along the Montana / Idaho border. Winter weather advisories have been issued for the Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains and the I-90 corridor west of Missoula to Lookout Pass. If you’re going through Lookout or Lolo Pass later in the day, be prepared for snowy and slippery roads.

A few light flurries will persist on Friday with highs remaining in the upper 20s to lower 30s.

The mountain snowfall might not even come to a complete stop until this weekend, as we expect significant snow path impacts to arrive in the Northern Rockies. A strong low will continue to spread off the coast of British Columbia, pumping out large amounts of moisture from Saturday to Sunday, or even until Monday. During this time, the region’s mountains and mountain passes along the MT / ID border are expected to receive a foot or more of snowfall. The valleys of northwestern Montana are also expected to receive snow. The towns of Libby, Troy and West Glacier will see up to 6 inches of snow. This weekend could easily be the start of a protracted snowfall, as the models show a decent deal for unstable weather persisting until the middle of next week.