BOZEMAN – The state of Montana continues to see a huge contrast in temperatures. Colder Arctic air continues to clip the northern and NE areas of Montana with air temperatures and wind chills below zero this morning from Cut Bank over to Glendive.
The Polar Jet Stream is paving the way for the colder air to dig into the central and eastern U.S. and this cold air mass is barely clipping northern and eastern Montana. This trend will likely continue for several more days.
The rest of the state is dominated by a High-pressure ridge which is producing milder temperatures and mostly dry conditions.
In fact, the rest of this week will be fairly quiet across southern and western Montana with this ridge pattern in place. Look for valley inversions to strengthen and create worsening air quality.
The blocking ridge will break down beginning Saturday as a cold front passes through the entire region Saturday evening into Sunday morning. This will bring increasing wind and possibly a quick shot of snow along with cooler temperatures by Sunday.
