The first major snowstorm of the season is expected to hit the northern Cascades, Rockies and North Dakota this week, forcing residents to hunt for winter coats, gloves and boots and face a stark change after a warm fall in many places. Different driving conditions.
The National Weather Service warns that driving on ice on snowy mountain passes and some highways can be dangerous when the snow initially melts and then freezes as road temperatures drop.
The storms are expected to come in waves, starting with rain in lower elevations of Washington on Tuesday and snow in the mountains, spreading into northern Idaho, Montana, northwest Wyoming and North Dakota through Friday Morning.
The National Weather Service predicts that cold air blowing from northwest Canada will combine with a humid Pacific weather system to cause freezing temperatures and up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) of snow in the mountains of Montana. Snow totals of 2 feet (61 centimeters) or more are possible in some higher elevations in the northern Rockies.
Matt Ludwig, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls, said central Montana will see the heaviest snowfall.
“We’re the bullseye,” he said.
After months of driving on dry roads, the first snow of the season “is always the most dangerous because people aren’t used to it yet,” Ludwig said. Drivers are not used to dealing with less traction, slower speeds and longer stopping distances, he said.
Anticipated snowfall has prompted residents to make appointments to install snow tires and led some to realize their underground sprinkler systems are in need of repair.
Conditions are starting to improve at Eagle Tire in Helena, Montana, where crews replaced regular tires on 30 vehicles with snow tires on Monday, manager Payton Lester said. He said they still had about 40 appointments to make on Tuesday.
The winterization schedule at Spieker Sprinklers in Helena was so full that they had to turn away callers Tuesday, owner Joe Spieker said.
Storms bring drastic changes in weather. Ludwig said temperatures in Helena hit a record low of 80 degrees Celsius (high 20s Celsius) late last week, about 25 degrees above average for this time of year. Great Falls also had an 80-degree day late last week, and now those cities could see up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow by Wednesday.
“If that’s not a shock to your system, I don’t know what is,” Ludwig said.
Helena Public Schools on Tuesday advised parents to check the district’s website or Facebook page Wednesday morning for information on weather-related bus delays or cancellations.
“Before sending your students to the bus stop, please check that your routes are operating properly,” district transportation manager Drew VanFossen said in a statement. “If conditions worsen, do not send children Stay alone at the bus stop and remember to pack warm clothes for the first cold wind of winter tomorrow morning.”
Snow is expected to move through northwest and north-central North Dakota starting Tuesday night or early Wednesday and continuing into Thursday night, said Nathan Heinert, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.
Heinert said the heaviest snow could fall in the Williston, Waterford and Minot areas of North Dakota’s oil fields, with snowfall amounts of 8 inches to 20 feet (20 to 30 centimeters) possible. He said the Bismarck could see 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of snow late Thursday after rain on Wednesday.
Snow began falling in areas of northwestern Montana, including Glacier National Park, around noon Tuesday and in Helena Tuesday night. Northwest Wyoming, including Yellowstone National Park, is also under a winter storm warning, the National Weather Service said. Light snow is tapering off Tuesday night in Alberta, Canada.
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