Montana Braces for Extreme Winds and Mountain Blizzard as Warnings Take Effect
Forecasters flag a rapid warmup next week that could accelerate snowmelt.
Overview
- High Wind Warning is active statewide Thursday with widespread gusts of 60–85 mph and localized peaks near 95 mph along the Rocky Mountain Front.
- A Blizzard Warning covers Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain Front, with the National Weather Service advising no travel through whiteout-prone Marias and Rogers Pass.
- Heavy mountain snow intensifies through Friday and Saturday with 1–4 feet common and up to 5 feet near Glacier, while valley totals remain highly variable.
- Closures expand across western Montana, including Butte School District canceling Thursday classes with a planned return on Monday.
- Utilities pre-stage crews and warn of likely outages, with Flathead Electric and NorthWestern Energy urging customers to prepare and monitor alerts.