Current weather · Sep 28, 12:00 AM MDT

45.1450, -114.0080

40°

Mostly CloudyFeels like 35° · Humidity 72%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Missoula, MT · grid 93,50
High
51°
Low
33°
Rain today
2%
Sunrise
7:31 AM
Sunset
7:22 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Mon 12 AM40°35°32°72%2%NNW8 mph10 mph73%—10 mi11,000 ft
Mon 1 AM41°36°32°70%2%WNW8 mph9 mph69%—10 mi11,000 ft
Mon 2 AM40°35°31°71%2%NW7 mph8 mph63%—10 mi11,000 ft
Mon 3 AM40°36°32°73%2%WNW6 mph7 mph69%—10 mi11,000 ft
Mon 4 AM39°36°31°74%2%WNW5 mph6 mph56%—10 mi12,000 ft
Mon 5 AM39°36°31°74%2%WNW5 mph6 mph56%—10 mi12,000 ft
Mon 6 AM38°34°30°74%2%WNW5 mph6 mph52%—10 mi
Mon 7 AM38°34°30°73%2%WNW5 mph6 mph52%—10 mi
Mon 8 AM37°33°29°74%1%N5 mph6 mph46%—10 mi
Mon 9 AM39°36°32°76%1%NNW5 mph7 mph27%1%—10 mi
Mon 10 AM41°39°33°73%1%ENE3 mph6 mph37%1%—10 mi
Mon 11 AM43°41°33°68%1%E3 mph7 mph24%1%—10 mi
Mon 12 PM45°43°33°62%2%ENE5 mph8 mph27%2%—10 mi
Mon 1 PM48°46°34°58%2%ENE5 mph9 mph24%2%—10 mi
Mon 2 PM49°47°32°51%1%NNE5 mph12 mph23%1%—10 mi
Mon 3 PM50°48°30°46%1%N6 mph13 mph17%1%—10 mi
Mon 4 PM51°51°29°43%1%N6 mph14 mph17%1%—10 mi
Mon 5 PM50°47°28°43%1%NNW7 mph14 mph19%1%—10 mi
Mon 6 PM49°46°26°41%0%NW8 mph13 mph15%—10 mi
Mon 7 PM49°46°29°46%0%NW8 mph13 mph15%—10 mi
Mon 8 PM44°39°28°52%0%NW8 mph13 mph15%—10 mi
Mon 9 PM42°37°27°56%0%WNW8 mph13 mph14%—10 mi
Mon 10 PM40°35°28°62%0%WNW8 mph13 mph14%—10 mi
Mon 11 PM39°33°29°67%0%WNW8 mph13 mph14%—10 mi
Tue 12 AM37°32°28°71%0%W7 mph10 mph15%—10 mi
Tue 1 AM37°32°28°70%0%W7 mph10 mph15%—10 mi
Tue 2 AM36°30°28°73%0%W7 mph10 mph15%—10 mi
Tue 3 AM35°29°28°76%0%W7 mph8 mph26%——
Tue 4 AM34°28°28°77%0%W7 mph8 mph26%——
Tue 5 AM34°28°28°77%0%W7 mph8 mph26%——
Tue 6 AM34°28°27°76%0%W7 mph8 mph57%——
Tue 7 AM33°27°26°74%0%W7 mph8 mph57%——
Tue 8 AM34°28°26°73%0%W7 mph8 mph57%——
Tue 9 AM36°31°28°72%0%WSW6 mph9 mph17%——
Tue 10 AM39°35°29°66%0%WSW6 mph9 mph17%——
Tue 11 AM43°39°29°58%0%WSW6 mph9 mph17%——
Tue 12 PM47°45°29°50%0%WSW5 mph12 mph3%——
Tue 1 PM50°48°29°44%0%WSW5 mph12 mph3%——
Tue 2 PM52°52°28°39%0%WSW5 mph12 mph3%——
Tue 3 PM54°54°28°36%0%NW5 mph13 mph12%——
Tue 4 PM55°55°27°34%0%NW5 mph13 mph12%——
Tue 5 PM54°54°26°34%0%NW5 mph13 mph12%——
Tue 6 PM53°53°27°36%0%NW7 mph17 mph20%——
Tue 7 PM51°51°28°40%0%NW7 mph17 mph20%——
Tue 8 PM48°45°28°46%0%NW7 mph17 mph20%——
Tue 9 PM45°40°28°52%0%WNW9 mph15 mph21%——
Tue 10 PM43°38°28°56%0%WNW9 mph15 mph21%——
Tue 11 PM42°36°29°60%0%WNW9 mph15 mph21%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 27, 2:01 PM MDT to day 7, the National Blend of Models to day 10, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodaySep 2851°33°Mostly Sunny2%wind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  2. TueSep 2955°37°Sunny0%wind 9 mph · gusts 17 mph
  3. WedSep 3052°35°Sunny0%wind 10 mph
  4. ThuOct 155°40°Sunny1%wind 5 mph · gusts 12 mph
  5. FriOct 256°40°Mostly Sunny0%wind 7 mph · gusts 15 mph
  6. SatOct 353°38°Mostly Sunny3%wind 7 mph
  7. SunOct 455°40°Sunny1%wind 5 mph · gusts 10 mph
  8. MonOct 557°41°National Blend3%wind 9 mph
  9. TueOct 657°42°National Blend3%snow 0.1 inwind 8 mph
  10. WedOct 757°43°National Blend1%wind 7 mph
  11. ThuOct 8~66°42°Model mean
  12. FriOct 9~68°45°Model mean
  13. SatOct 10~66°44°Model mean
  14. SunOct 11~67°44°Model mean
  15. MonOct 12~64°41°Model mean
  16. TueOct 13~63°40°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like35°
  • WindNNW 8 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity72%
  • Dew point32°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility10 mi
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset · not yet up
  • Moonrise7:59 PMMoonset 10:00 AM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous95% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 27, 6:00 PM MDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodaySep 2850°32°NWS grid 51° / 33°rain 2%wind 9 mph
  2. TueSep 2954°37°NWS grid 55° / 37°rain 0%wind 9 mph
  3. WedSep 3052°36°NWS grid 52° / 35°rain 1%wind 9 mph · gusts 15 mph
  4. ThuOct 155°40°NWS grid 55° / 40°rain 1%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  5. FriOct 256°40°NWS grid 56° / 40°rain 2%wind 8 mph · gusts 15 mph
  6. SatOct 353°38°NWS grid 53° / 38°rain 4%wind 7 mph
  7. SunOct 455°40°NWS grid 55° / 40°rain 1%wind 6 mph
  8. MonOct 557°41°Beyond the NWS gridrain 3%wind 9 mph
  9. TueOct 657°42°Beyond the NWS gridrain 3%snow 0.1 inwind 8 mph
  10. WedOct 757°43°Beyond the NWS gridrain 1%wind 7 mph
  11. ThuOct 857°—Beyond the NWS gridrain 4%wind 9 mph
32°46°59°MonTueWedThuFriSatSunMon

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 27, 6:00 PM MDT · GFS Sep 27, 6:00 PM MDT · GEFS Sep 27, 12:00 PM MDT · ECMWF Sep 27, 6:00 AM MDT · ECMWF AI Sep 27, 6:00 AM MDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

32°55°77°MonTueWedThuFriSatSunMon

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Sep 2851° 33°51° 36°61° 38°63° 38°59° 40°0.01 in~62° 40°0.02 in
Tue Sep 2955° 37°57° 37°65° 37°65° 36°64° 38°~65° 37°
Wed Sep 3052° 35°—64° 41°62° 40°62° 41°~65° 42°
Thu Oct 155° 40°—67° 40°65° 36°66° 44°~67° 40°
Fri Oct 256° 40°—68° 44°66° 40°71° 50°~68° 42°
Sat Oct 353° 38°—67° 40°65° 38°0.01 in~67° 51°~68° 47°
Sun Oct 455° 40°—72° 45°69° 37°~67° 49°~70° 40°
Mon Oct 5——73° 51°70° 42°~67° 48°~72° 43°
Tue Oct 6——70° 45°69° 41°~62° 45°~70° 45°
Wed Oct 7——68° 42°~65° 40°~57° 36°~68° 46°
Thu Oct 8——~65° 40°—~62° 42°~71° 44°
Fri Oct 9——~65° 42°—~67° 48°~71° 44°
Sat Oct 10——~65° 41°—~64° 47°~70° 43°
Sun Oct 11——~64° 41°—~67° 48°~71° 42°
Mon Oct 12——~64° 41°—~47° 44°~52° 45°
Tue Oct 13——~63° 40°———

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Salmon/Lemhi (Awos) (SMN) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Tue Oct 13, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean70%80%equal chances40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec-20°0°20°40°60°80°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normalCPC near normal or equal chances

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 2870° / 37°87° (1992)20° (1985)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 564° / 34°87° (2015)14° (1985)80% chance above normal · days 8 to 1440% chance below normal · days 8 to 14
Oct 1261° / 33°84° (1991)13° (1969)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 1956° / 31°79° (2003)13° (2020)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2649° / 28°73° (1988)-3° (2019)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Nov 246° / 26°76° (2020)-0° (1991)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 942° / 22°69° (2021)2° (2014)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 1641° / 23°65° (2003)-9° (2022)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 2336° / 19°66° (1990)-12° (1985)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec
Nov 3035° / 18°59° (1987)-18° (1992)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 729° / 14°60° (2025)-22° (1972)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 1430° / 12°56° (2025)-17° (1990)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec
Dec 2129° / 12°50° (1978)-31° (1990)40% chance above normal · Oct to Dec33% chance below normal · Oct to Dec

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hModeratecold
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • HikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • BikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GolftodayIdealfine conditions
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Beach and pooltodayPoorcool
  • CampingtonightIdealfine conditions
  • StargazingtonightPoormostly cloudy

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GardeningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayVery goodcold
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayIdealfine conditions
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayVery goodcold
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayLowcool
  • TickstodayModeratewarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststodayLowcool

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated fair.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
MondayFair9:00 PM to 5:53 AM6 of 9None93%Good8 mph
TuesdayFair8:58 PM to 5:55 AM6 of 9None87%Good10 mph
WednesdayFair8:56 PM to 5:56 AM3 of 9None79%Good7 mph
ThursdayPoor8:54 PM to 5:57 AM0 of 9None69%6 mph
FridayPoor8:52 PM to 5:59 AM0 of 9None59%7 mph
SaturdayPoor8:50 PM to 6:00 AM0 of 9None49%5 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Mon7:01 AM to 7:13 AM7:13 AM to 8:10 AM6:43 PM to 7:40 PM7:40 PM to 7:51 PM
Tue7:03 AM to 7:14 AM7:14 AM to 8:11 AM6:41 PM to 7:38 PM7:38 PM to 7:49 PM
Wed7:04 AM to 7:15 AM7:15 AM to 8:12 AM6:39 PM to 7:36 PM7:36 PM to 7:47 PM
Thu7:05 AM to 7:16 AM7:16 AM to 8:13 AM6:37 PM to 7:34 PM7:34 PM to 7:45 PM
Fri7:06 AM to 7:18 AM7:18 AM to 8:15 AM6:35 PM to 7:32 PM7:32 PM to 7:44 PM
Sat7:07 AM to 7:19 AM7:19 AM to 8:16 AM6:33 PM to 7:30 PM7:30 PM to 7:42 PM
Sun7:09 AM to 7:20 AM7:20 AM to 8:17 AM6:31 PM to 7:28 PM7:28 PM to 7:40 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:31 AM, 92° E
  • SS Sunset 7:22 PM, 268° W
  • MR Moonrise 7:59 PM, 64° ENE
  • MS Moonset 10:00 AM, 293° WNW
  • Waning gibbous, 95% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: fly with caution (night: lighting and night training required (107.29)). Next good stretch: Mon 8 AM to 7 PM, 11 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 7:01 AM to sunrise 7:31 AM, and sunset 7:22 PM to 7:52 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Mon12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Tue12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Mon 12 AMCaution812142%10 mi400 ft40°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 1 AMCaution812132%10 mi400 ft41°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 2 AMCaution710112%10 mi400 ft40°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 3 AMCaution614152%10 mi400 ft40°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 4 AMCaution511122%10 mi400 ft39°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 5 AMCaution511122%10 mi400 ft39°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 6 AMCaution511122%10 mi38°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 7 AMCaution511122%10 mi38°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 8 AMGood5671%10 mi37°nothing against it
Mon 9 AMGood5681%10 mi39°nothing against it
Mon 10 AMGood3461%10 mi41°nothing against it
Mon 11 AMGood3481%10 mi43°nothing against it
Mon 12 PMGood5592%10 mi45°nothing against it
Mon 1 PMGood55102%10 mi48°nothing against it
Mon 2 PMGood55121%10 mi49°nothing against it
Mon 3 PMGood67141%10 mi50°nothing against it
Mon 4 PMGood67151%10 mi51°nothing against it
Mon 5 PMGood79161%10 mi50°nothing against it
Mon 6 PMGood810150%10 mi49°nothing against it
Mon 7 PMCaution819240%10 mi49°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 8 PMCaution819240%10 mi44°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 9 PMCaution819240%10 mi42°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 10 PMCaution819240%10 mi40°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 11 PMCaution819240%10 mi39°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Mon 12 AM to Tue 4 AM 28 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Tue 6 AM to 6 PM 12 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Tue 9 PM to Wed 12 AM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Wed 6 AM to Sun 3 PM 105 hours, every hour within the rules
Mon12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Tue12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
MondayDry2%0.00 in41%8 mph7 dGood
TuesdayDry0%0.00 in34%7 mph6 dGood
WednesdayDry0%0.00 in38%9 mph5 dGood
ThursdayDry0%0.00 in32%5 mph4 d
FridayDry0%0.00 in32%7 mph3 dGood
SaturdayDry3%0.00 in37%6 mph2 dGood
SundayDry1%0.00 in35%5 mph1 d

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Monday, rated good.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Mon Good1:39 AM to 3:39 AM2:05 PM to 4:05 PM9:30 AM to 10:30 AM7:29 PM to 8:29 PM 95%7:31 AM, 7:22 PM
Tue Good2:31 AM to 4:31 AM2:59 PM to 4:59 PM10:50 AM to 11:50 AM7:59 PM to 8:59 PM 89%7:32 AM, 7:20 PM
Wed Poor3:28 AM to 5:28 AM3:58 PM to 5:58 PM12:10 PM to 1:10 PM8:40 PM to 9:40 PM 82%7:33 AM, 7:18 PM
Thu Fair4:28 AM to 6:28 AM4:59 PM to 6:59 PM1:25 PM to 2:25 PM9:32 PM to 10:32 PM 73%7:34 AM, 7:16 PM
Fri Fair5:31 AM to 7:31 AM6:02 PM to 8:02 PM2:30 PM to 3:30 PM10:37 PM to 11:37 PM 63%7:36 AM, 7:14 PM
Sat Fair6:33 AM to 8:33 AM7:03 PM to 9:03 PM3:21 PM to 4:21 PM 53%7:37 AM, 7:12 PM
Sun Fair7:33 AM to 9:33 AM8:01 PM to 10:01 PM11:52 PM to 12:52 AM4:00 PM to 5:00 PM 42%7:38 AM, 7:10 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. Overnight37° · 2% · NW 5–8 mph

    Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.

  2. Monday51° · 2% · N 3–7 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. North wind 3 to 7 mph.

  3. Monday Night33° · WNW 8 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 33. West northwest wind around 8 mph.

  4. Tuesday55° · W 7 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 55. West wind around 7 mph.

  5. Tuesday Night37° · WNW 7–10 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 37. West northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

  6. Wednesday52° · WNW 5–9 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 52.

  7. Wednesday Night35° · 1% · NW 3–7 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

  8. Thursday55° · WSW 5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 55.

  9. Thursday Night40° · W 6 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

  10. Friday56° · SW 7 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

  11. Friday Night40° · 1% · W 3–7 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

  12. Saturday53° · 2% · WNW 6 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.

  13. Saturday Night38° · 3% · WNW 5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

  14. Sunday55° · SSW 5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 55.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Missoula, MT · issued Sep 27, 1:21 PM MDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

Discussion

KEY MESSAGES:

Near-normal with the weather pattern during upcoming week, with dry conditions

Increasing winds Tuesday, especially across northwest Montana and the higher terrain.

A few rain showers on Wednesday then warming trend into the remainder of the week.

Confidence increasing for a warm, dry early October beyond the 7 day forecast.

Satellite imagery shows a very large upper low over northern California which is pushing a lot moisture (in the form of thick middle clouds) into the Northern Rockies this afternoon. These clouds combined with the cold morning that we had has resulted in temperatures climbing slower. High temperatures could be a few degrees cooler than expected due the clouds today. Showers are seen on the radar extending from Lemhi County and points eastwards. Also showers are poised to move over Idaho County. Later today, weak instability could result in a few weak thunderstorms from Lemhi County to southwest Montana. Precipitation may struggle to make it to the ground in some places due to dry air in place.

A weak shortwave will move across the region on Monday. This will help the sun to come out and provide warming again. Also it will bring some breezy afternoon westerly winds, generally staying below 20 mph across northwest Montana.

On Tuesday, a weakening moisture plume that will have brought rain to southern British Columbia and northwest Washington State will begin to impact northwest Montana. Increasing clouds, and westerly winds will be felt. General west to southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph can be expected. There's a 50% chance that the US-2 corridor between Happy's Inn and Kalispell could experience gusts exceeding 30 mph. Over the Divide in the Glacier Region, there is a 80% chance for wind gusts exceeding 45 mph. For Flathead Lake the probabilities suggest that only a few places could experience sustained 15 mph winds from Wild Horse Island to the center of the lake, and also across southern Polson Bay. Expect choppy conditions.

The main moisture plume moves over northwest Montana later Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Expect periods of light rain mainly in the mountains. A few valley locations from Lowell, Idaho north and east to the Seeley/Swan Valley, to Glacier National Park have a 40 to 50% chance of receiving measurable moisture in the morning.

A gradual warming trend will begin to end the week!

Confidence is increasing for a warm, dry early October beyond the 7 day forecast. The large scale weather pattern is being influenced by upstream tropical activity. With 2 hurricanes and 1 tropical cyclone in the central and east Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to Baja and a typhoon approaching the eastern periphery of Japan, it's been a difficult forecast for models. However, they're starting to coalesce around higher chances for a potent ridge over the northern Rockies into the first third of October. Ensemble mean temperature forecasts are coming in 15 degrees above seasonal averages at about 9-12 days out. Those are large anomalies for that long of a lead time! Add in that the signal is coming from multiple ensemble systems including both dynamical (physics based) and AI modeling systems, this provides above normal levels of confidence for such a long lead time forecast. Looking back, the last time this kind of warm ridge set up over the northwestern US in early October was october 9-11 and 14, 1991. Eureka, Montana hit 86 degrees, Grangeville, Idaho 87 degrees, and Butte 81 degrees! The Center for Climate Prediction has issued forecasts for the Northern Rockies region with a 70-80% chance of above average temperatures and precipitation forecasts are leaning below average for that time period as well.

Aviation

VFR conditions are expected across the airspace over the next 24 hours. Satellite imagery shows a cloud shield moving towards the Northern Rockies. This trend will continue through the afternoon, with cloud ceilings trending towards 10,000-15,000 feet AGL. Scattered showers will develop across the higher terrain of Lemhi County, ID into southwest Montana, perhaps leading to isolated terrain obscurations over the highest peaks. Precipitation will struggle to reach the ground with drier air in the low levels of the atmosphere. Winds will be primarily light and terrain-driven today.

MSO Watches / Warnings / Advisories

MT...None. ID...None.

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Mon Sep 28No risk area
  2. Day 2 · Tue Sep 29No risk area
  3. Day 3 · Wed Sep 30No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Thu Oct 1No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Sat Oct 3No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Mon Oct 5No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Mon Sep 28Under 0.01 in
  2. Day 2 · Tue Sep 29Under 0.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Wed Sep 30Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 1–Oct 2Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 3–Oct 4Under 0.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature70% chance above normalOct 3–Oct 7
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation60% chance below normalOct 3–Oct 7
  3. Days 8–14 · Temperature80% chance above normalOct 5–Oct 11
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 5–Oct 11

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Salmon-Ksra

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around May 17 and the first fall freeze around September 24: a growing season of about 127 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 9; one spring in ten still has one after June 9.

Climate of 45.15, -114.01: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 24 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementMonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Wet bulb globe temperature max47°49°48°49°50°48°49°
Wind chill min33°27°31°33°37°36°36°
Chance of thunder max2%0%0%0%0%3%1%
Snow level min9,600 ft7,900 ft9,700 ft8,700 ft9,800 ft9,600 ft9,500 ft
Cloud ceiling min11,000 ft
Visibility min10 mi10 mi
Mixing height max5,400 ft5,100 ft5,400 ft4,700 ft
Transport wind max9 mph12 mph15 mph10 mph14 mph13 mph9 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Salmon/Lemhi (Awos) (SMN) · 6.3 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Mon Sep 2851° / 33°73° / 35°86° (2011)22° (1999)
Tue Sep 2955° / 37°73° / 37°86° (2024)22° (1985)
Wed Sep 3052° / 35°71° / 36°86° (2024)20° (1985)
Thu Oct 155° / 40°70° / 37°87° (1992)25° (1985)
Fri Oct 256° / 40°69° / 36°85° (1997)25° (2002)
Sat Oct 353° / 38°66° / 37°83° (1987)21° (1973)
Sun Oct 455° / 40°64° / 35°83° (2011)20° (1973)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Mon7:01 AM7:31 AM7:22 PM7:51 PM11 h 51 min Waning gibbous · 95% lit
Tue7:03 AM7:32 AM7:20 PM7:49 PM11 h 48 min Waning gibbous · 89% lit
Wed7:04 AM7:33 AM7:18 PM7:47 PM11 h 45 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu7:05 AM7:34 AM7:16 PM7:45 PM11 h 42 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri7:06 AM7:36 AM7:14 PM7:44 PM11 h 38 min Waning gibbous · 63% lit
Sat7:07 AM7:37 AM7:12 PM7:42 PM11 h 35 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun7:09 AM7:38 AM7:10 PM7:40 PM11 h 32 min Last quarter · 42% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from