Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Lakeside, MT

FXUS65 KMSO 171829 AFDMSO

Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Missoula MT 1129 AM MST Mon Feb 17 2025

DISCUSSION

KEY MESSAGES:

- Heavier snowfall, winds blowing and drifting snow, expected to continue through Monday night, significantly impacting travel across the region.

- Colder temperatures by Wednesday.

- Active weather continues through the week and into the weekend, with snow levels above valley floors at times this weekend.

Widespread light snow during the first half of the day will start to transition to heavier snowfall rates by Monday afternoon and evening. Areas of west-to-east oriented snow bands are likely to produce quickly-accumulating snow and localized gusty winds.

An Arctic boundary will continue to slowly creep west through the day and into Tuesday continuing to reinforce temperatures that are cold enough to produce all-snow across the entire region. As this boundary pushes through your area, expect decreasing snowfall rates and dropping temperatures with gusty winds. Gusty north and easterly winds up to 30 mph (especially near and within mountain gaps and river canyons) will cause blowing and drifting of previously-fallen snow prolonging reduced visibilities and slick roadway conditions through late Tuesday.

The southward progression of this Arctic front is still a bit uncertain, models are indicating almost total certainty of an Arctic front by Tuesday morning as far south and west as the Missoula Valley with probabilities tapering off to about a 50% chance in the southern Bitterroot Valley and even less likely as you head further south and west.

With sufficient post-frontal clearing skies, Wednesday morning will likely be quite cold. The coldest air will stay east of the Divide but on our side, along the Divide, morning lows could drop into the single digits below zero. Single digits are expected west of the Divide to Missoula, with teens south and west of Missoula.
This cold air is not expected to significantly impact north- central ID which will merely have a seasonally cold start to the day.

The next system will begin to affect our region with snow on Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. This system will be a bit moisture-starved with up to an inch of snow in most valleys and 3 to 6 inches in the highest terrain of the Clearwater Mountains ID.

A combination of a flat upper-level ridge, rising 500mb heights, and 30 to 40kt mid level winds will cause snow levels to rise above valley floors with light precipitation heading into this weekend. We will continue to monitor this storm as overnight temperatures may fall below freezing and allow for wet surfaces to freeze up.
Show more