A Winter Storm Watch covers the Butte area, and a Winter Weather Advisory covers parts of western Montana, as the first real snow of the season arrives this weekend.
The National Weather Service in Missoula issued both alerts Thursday afternoon. Snow and gusty winds could make mountain pass travel difficult from Saturday evening through Sunday.
Winter Storm Watch: Butte and Blackfoot Region
The watch runs from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon.
Heavy snow is possible, with totals of 3 to 7 inches. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.
The watch covers Homestake Pass, Butte, Georgetown Lake, MacDonald Pass and Highway 12 from Garrison to Elliston.
Travel could be very difficult. Strong winds and heavy snow on tree limbs may down power lines and cause sporadic outages.
Winter Weather Advisory: Bitterroot, Sapphire and Seeley Lake Area
The advisory runs from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. MDT Sunday.
Snow totals are up to 3 inches, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
It covers the Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains and the Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.
Expect slippery roads on these routes:
- Lolo Pass
- Highway 83, Seeley Lake to Condon
- I-90, East Missoula to Bearmouth
- Highway 93, Sula to Lost Trail Pass
- Highway 200, Bonner to Greenough
A Taste of Winter
NWS Missoula laid out the weekend timeline: gusty west winds Friday, a cold front Saturday and high-terrain snow Sunday.
A hard freeze in the 20s is expected Monday and Tuesday mornings.
The office also urged backcountry visitors to prepare for the shift.
Safety Reminders
Slow down and use caution on mountain passes. Check road conditions by calling 511 or visiting 511mt.net.
Watch your first steps on stairs, sidewalks and driveways. They could be icy.
Pack extra layers, and protect sensitive plants and outdoor pipes before the hard freeze.
For live updates, follow NWS Missoula on X.
