MISSOULA — Looks like Phil got it right — winter is sticking around for six more weeks.
This week, we are expecting a combination of arctic air and snow.
These features are coming into our region separately, but they will work together to hit us hard with winter weather.
The arctic air is already starting to spill over the Rocky Mountain Front. It will likely stall around the I-90 corridor before moving further south tonight.
The snow will come from the west, colliding into the cold front. This setup is what makes forecasting snow totals so difficult.
Over the next few days, you'll likely see several different ranges of snow floating around.
Ultimately, everyone will at least see some snow, but Southwest Montana will get the most snow.
One of the mid-range models — through tomorrow at 7 a.m. — is included in the photos for this article.
We may get several consistent hours of snow starting later tonight through tomorrow night, so snow totals do have the potential to build.
For this reason, the National Weather Service has issued a multitude of Winter Storm warnings and advisories.
The biggest impact in all of this will be road conditions.
Between the cold air and the possible heavy snow, roads will be poor most likely between Tuesday and Wednesday.
