MISSOULA — The northern Rockies will be entering into an active weather pattern all this week and will even continue into next weekend.
A series of storm systems will bring snow to the northern Rockies Monday through Wednesday. During this time, mountain locations could see around 1-to-2 feet of snow with locally up to 3 feet in some spots.
Valleys will once again be dealing with precipitation that falls as snow, rain/snow or all rain. Snow for valleys will be most likely Monday morning with a change over to a rain/snow mix expected by the afternoon.
The one thing to keep in mind, the higher elevation valleys around Seeley Lake and Swan Lake will see precipitation stay as all snow during this event with snow amounts of 7-to-15 inches possible by Wednesday morning.
Tuesday, will see valleys see either a rain/snow mix or all rain as temperatures warm into the upper 30's and 40's. Mountains will continue to see steady snow fall during this time.
By the end of the week, cooler air will begin pushing into the northern Rockies. Perhaps the greatest chance for valleys to see widespread accumulating snow will be this weekend as a stronger and more organized winter weather system moves through. We will keep you updated on this as we move through the week.
Looking into the extended forecast. By the start of next week (January 12-15) models are showing a quick blast of arctic air moving into the northern Rockies. High temperatures to start next week look to only top out in the 10's and 20's with low temperatures falling below zero.
Again, a lot to get to first this week, so stay with KPAX for updates on this as we move through out the next couple of days.
