Advisory Archive
There’s no denying the fact that winter has arrived with 6-8 inches of new snow near Bozeman and Big Sky, 15 inches near West Yellowstone, and 22 inches near Cooke City. Temperatures this morning were in the mid teens F and winds calmed to 5-10 mph from the S and SE. Both winds and temperatures should remain the same through much of today though temperatures should start dropping this afternoon. Snowfall will continue with another 4-6 inches near Bozeman and Big Sky and 8-10 inches near Cooke City and West Yellowstone.
Overnight most areas received 5-7 inches of new snow except near Big Sky where up to 10 inches has fallen and near West Yellowstone where only 2 inches has fallen. At 5 a.m. winds were blowing 15-30 mph from the WSW, but yesterday they blew 60-80 mph. Temperatures dropped as snow started falling last night into the low teens F and will only climb to the high teens today under cloudy skies. Winds should calm to around 15 mph, and another 10-12 inches of snow should accumulate by tomorrow morning.
Yesterday the winds were ripping from the west and northwest with gusts in the morning near 60 mph in Hyalite and near Big Sky. Temperatures dropped throughout the day with an additional 2-3 inches of snow falling in most areas. No snow fell overnight and temperatures were in the mid to low teens F this morning at 5 a.m. with southwest winds blowing 10-15 mph. Some snow is possible today but it will not accumulate. Temperatures will be near 20 deg F with southwest winds blowing 15-20 mph and increasing to 40 mph by the end of the day. More snow should arrive by Thursday afternoon.
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Rain in town and snow in the mountains means less shoveling, which is something I can get used to. Above 6,000 feet the weather stations show 6-7 inches of heavy 10% snow in the northern Gallatin and Bridger Ranges as well as Cooke City. The mountains from Big Sky to West Yellowstone got about 4 inches. Mountain temperatures have warmed into the mid to upper twenties and there's no doubt the snowfall amounts would be stouter if the air was colder. Winds have picked up out of the west-northwest at 25 mph with gusts in the 40s. Today will be snowy and windy with temperatures falling in the early afternoon. By late tonight temperatures will be in the low teens with light winds and 6-10 inches of new snow.
After rock climbing in a t-shirt last weekend, my past two days of ice climbing has shredded any doubt that winter is here. A couple inches of snow fell Friday and Saturday night with much more in the last 24 hours. The Bridger Range got 4-6", the Hyalite area received 10-16"; the Big Sky area got 8-10"; West Yellowstone only received 3-4" and Cooke City got 7-10". Westerly winds are blowing 10-20 mph in the north, but reading 30-40 mph outside Cooke City. During the next 36 hours a wet, unstable weather system will continue to push into Montana from the northwest. Snowfall will increase tonight and continue into Tuesday. After a summer off I'm a bit rusty at predicting snowfall amounts, but I think we could see a foot by daybreak tomorrow.
At 6 am this morning 6 to 11 inches of snow has fallen throughout our advisory area. Shower Falls Snotel site in the northern Gallatin Range has recorded the most with 11 inches of snow totaling over an inch of water. Carrot Basin and the Yellowstone Club near Big Sky have received 9 to 10 inches while the Bridger Range picked up 6 to 8 inches. The mountains around West Yellowstone and Cook City received 5 to 6 inches. My guess is that all these areas picked up at least a few more inches in the higher elevations.
Mountain temperatures are ranging from the upper teens to low twenties and winds are blowing out of the W-NW at 5 to 15 mph. Today, we can expect to see mountain temperatures reach the upper twenties while valley temperatures will climb into the mid to high thirties. There will be a slight chance of continued precipitation this morning, but all precipitation should end by this afternoon. Southwest Montana can expect to see clearing skis and warmer temperatures by tomorrow.
At 8 am this morning 5 inches of new snow has already been recorded at the Yellowstone Club study plot located at 9,400 ft (Yellowstone Club). Carrot Basin Snotel site (NRCS SNOTEL) to the south of the Club has picked up 3 inches while the mountains around West Yellowstone and Cooke City have picked up a trace to two inches. The Bridger Range has only picked a trace, but that will change throughout the day.
Currently mountain temperatures are in the high twenties to low thirties and winds are blowing out of the W-SW at 10-20 mph. Snow levels will continue to drop throughout the day as an approaching cold front pushes into our region from the west. We can expect to see 2-5 inches of accumulation in the valleys by tomorrow morning with 10-12 inches falling above 8,000 ft.
Since yesterday morning the Bridger Range picked up 12+ inches of heavy, dense snow at 9,000 feet. All other SNOTEL sites are showing 3-6 inches. Mountain temperatures have cooled to 15 degrees with ridgetop winds on Flanders Mountain and Lulu Pass blowing out of the west to northwest at 20-30 mph. Showers today could bring a few more inches to the upper elevations as winds continue to blow in the 20s.
