Freezing Rain Advisory 2, NWS Missoula, MT

436 
WWUS45 KMSO 250551
WSWMSO

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
1051 PM MST MON JAN 24 2011


MTZ001-004-251800-
/O.CAN.KMSO.ZR.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-110125T1800Z/
/O.NEW.KMSO.WW.Y.0013.110125T0551Z-110125T1800Z/
KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION-LOWER CLARK FORK REGION-
1051 PM MST MON JAN 24 2011

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST TUESDAY...
...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 11 AM MST TUESDAY. THE FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.

* IMPACTS/TIMING: FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE VALLEYS
  OF EXTREME NORTHWEST MONTANA TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY HIGHWAY 200
  WEST OF THOMPSON FALLS AND HIGHWAY 56. THE FREEZING RAIN IS
  ANTICIPATED TO TRANSITION BACK OVER TO SNOW LATER TONIGHT.
  HAZARDOUS ROAD CONDITIONS WILL LINGER THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS: LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 2 TO 5 INCHES...LOCALLY UP TO 6 INCHES...OF
  SNOW BY TUESDAY MORNING.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...HIGHWAY 2 KALISPELL TO LIBBY... 
  HIGHWAY 37 EUREKA TO LIBBY...HIGHWAY 56 BULL LAKE ROAD...
  HIGHWAY 93 EUREKA TO WHITEFISH...EVARO HILL...HIGHWAY 200 
  THOMPSON FALLS TO PLAINS...HIGHWAY 200 TROUT CREEK TO HERON...
  I-90 LOOKOUT PASS TO HAUGAN

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...OR ICE
ACCUMULATIONS WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

&&

$$

MTZ003-251800-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WW.Y.0013.110125T0551Z-110125T1800Z/
FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS-
1051 PM MST MON JAN 24 2011

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 11 AM MST TUESDAY.


* IMPACTS/TIMING:FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE MISSION
  VALLEY TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY HIGHWAY 93 SOUTH OF POLSON. THE FREEZING
  RAIN IS ANTICIPATED TO TRANSITION BACK OVER TO SNOW LATER
  TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS ROAD CONDITIONS WILL LINGER THROUGH TUESDAY
  MORNING.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS: LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 2 TO 5 INCHES...LOCALLY UP TO 6 INCHES...OF
  SNOW BY TUESDAY MORNING.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...FLATHEAD LAKE...FLATHEAD VALLEY...
   MISSION VALLEY...POLSON

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...OR ICE
ACCUMULATIONS WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

&&

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
302 PM MST MON JAN 24 2011

.DISCUSSION...A SHORT WAVE CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH NORTHWEST
FLOW AND PRECIPITATION HAS ENTERED NORTHWEST MONTANA THIS
AFTERNOON AND WILL ENCOMPASS THE ENTIRE NORTHERN ROCKIES THROUGH
EARLY THIS EVENING. THIS IS A FAST MOVING SYSTEM AND THE BULK OF
ENERGY/PRECIP WILL EXIT THE REGION TUESDAY MORNING.

THERE ARE TWO IMPACTS EXPECTED FROM THIS SYSTEM. THE FIRST IS
ACCUMULATING SNOWS OVER THE LOOKOUT AND LOLO PASSES. 2-4 INCHES OF
SNOW WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME TRAVEL ISSUES. THE SECOND IMPACT WILL
BE THE POSSIBILITY OF LIGHT SNOW AND SOME FREEZING RAIN IN THE
VALLEYS OF NORTHWEST MONTANA...SEELEY/SWAN...AND THE
MISSOULA/BITTERROOT. CURRENT TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE UPPER 20S TO
LOWER 30S. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE SURFACE TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN
BELOW FREEZING THIS EVENING AND MUCH OF THE NIGHT. THEY ALSO
INDICATE A POTENTIAL FOR A SHALLOW LAYER OF WARMER AIR ALOFT WHICH
IS CONDUCIVE FOR FREEZING RAIN. FREEZING RAIN IS OCCURRING
UPSTREAM IN SPOKANE INDICATIVE OF A WARMER LAYER. IF IT ENDS UP
ALL SNOW THE VALLEYS COULD SEE 1/2 TO 1 INCH OF SNOW BY MORNING.
WHATEVER THE SCENARIO THIS MAY PRODUCE SOME TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES
THIS EVENING AND FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION
WILL DIMINISH TUESDAY MORNING...THOUGH NORTHWEST FLOW AND
INSTABILITY WILL PRODUCE AFTERNOON SHOWERS.

TUESDAY NIGHT HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL BRING
DRIER MORE STABLE CONDITIONS AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF VALLEY FOG WESTERN
MONTANA AND CENTRAL IDAHO.

WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT
OVER THE REGION...WITH WEAK VALLEY INVERSIONS AND NIGHT/MORNING
FOG MAINLY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. A WEAK DISTURBANCE WILL SLIDE
ACROSS NORTHWEST MONTANA ON WEDNESDAY AND BRING A CHANCE OF
SHOWERS MAINLY NORTH OF POLSON.

SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...LONG-RANGE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD
AGREEMENT WITH BRINGING A TROUGH INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON
SATURDAY THEN DIGGING IT TO THE SOUTHEAST SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
TIMING COULD CHANGE AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE WEEKEND...SO HAVE
INCREASED THE POPS TO CLIMATOLOGY.

&&

.AVIATION...A FAST MOVING WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT...BRINGING SNOW/RAIN CHANCES
BACK TO THE TERMINALS. VICINITY SHOWERS AND LOW TO MID LEVEL
CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION WITH THE BEST
WINDOW FOR PRECIPITATION EXISTING LATE THIS AFTERNOON (25/0000Z)
AND LINGERING THROUGH EARLY MORNING (25/1400Z). PRECIPITATION WILL
EXPAND AREA WIDE...ESPECIALLY IMPACTING KGPI...KMSO AND KSMN
TONIGHT. LOWERED VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS WILL DISSIPATE DURING
THE DAY TUESDAY AS THE SHORTWAVE FEATURE MAKES A QUICK EXIT TO THE
SOUTHEAST.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...NONE.
ID...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...RPN
LONG TERM....KOLATA
AVIATION...NOLTE