BOZEMAN – Weekend weather pattern will be interesting for Montana. We will go from one extreme to the other Saturday into Sunday.
First comes a dry cold front Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening. Ahead of the front a strong SW flow aloft that will push temperatures into the 80s and will likely push wildfire smoke back into the region.
This front will produce increasing surface winds Saturday afternoon in the neighborhood of 15 to 30 mph and possible stronger gusts in wind prone areas. The combination of wind, heat, low humidity, and dry fuels will keep fire danger very high to extreme Saturday afternoon and evening.
A FIRE WEATHER WATCH is up for most of western and central Montana counties Saturday afternoon and evening. This will likely be upgraded to a Red Flag Warning later today or by Saturday morning.
Please be very careful with all outdoor activities Saturday as accidental human caused fires can occur under the conditions described above. Small fires can grow out of control very quickly.
Behind the cold front look for a NW flow. This will greatly help clear the skies of wildfire smoke, but it will also produce some very chilly temperatures Sunday into Monday.
Another disturbance will move into the region from the NW Sunday night into Monday and this could bring showers to the state. Snow levels will fall to as low as 6,500’ near Glacier National Park. Higher mountain peaks across the state could see a dusting of snow Sunday into Monday.
