Winter Storm and High Wind in Montana, February 22 to 23, 2020

Dry conditions persist Saturday night with gusty west to southwest winds across the plains continuing into the evening. A weak surface front pushing south through southern Alberta during the afternoon hours moves south through north-central MT during the evening hours with the most notable affect of its passage being a wind shift to the north then lighter easterly winds by Sunday morning. A fairly vigorous shortwave trough near 140W Saturday afternoon reaches the WA/BC coast Sunday morning and moves quickly east across the Northern Rockies and MT late Sunday afternoon and night with an associated Pacific frontal system at the surface. Several |winter weather and wind hazards are expected in association with the frontal passage Sunday evening, beginning with the development of snow along the higher elevations of the Rocky Mtn Front by later Sunday afternoon. Showers will likely spread east and intensify along the frontal boundary late Sunday afternoon and evening, especially across SW MT. While temperatures are initially mild ahead of the front through Sunday afternoon, conditions appear favorable for the development of a brief but intense precipitation band along the front across southwest MT Sunday evening. With temperatures falling and precipitation changing to snow following the frontal passage. Main concern for lower elevations of SW MT is the quickly changing visibility and |potential for icing as wet surfaces freeze. As the front moves quickly E/SE through central and SW MT Sunday evening, gusty west winds likely develop along and following the frontal passage over much of central and SW MT as strong westerly flow |aloft mixes down behind the frontal passage. Flow aloft shifts to northwesterly following the initial trough passage Sunday night while low pressure at the surfaces shifts from Southern Alberta southeastward to ND, keeping fairly windy conditions in place across much of the area.