902
FXUS65 KMSO 071840
AFDMSO

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
1240 PM MDT Mon Apr 7 2025

.DISCUSSION...

KEY MESSAGES:

-  Cold front passage today will bring breezy winds, increased
   clouds and widespread showers.

-  Mountain pass snow tonight and again Tuesday night/Wednesday
   morning, especially for Lolo, Lookout, Lost Trail and Marias
   Pass.

-  Warmer and drier weather Thursday and Friday, then a return to
   cooler and showery for the weekend.

A cold front continues to move through western Montana this
afternoon, producing gusty southwest to west winds up to 30 mph
and fairly widespread shower activity. Showers could amplify wind
gusts locally up to 40 mph. In addition, enough instability to
support a few thunderstorms will be in place late this afternoon
into the early evening, mainly through Clearwater and Idaho
counties.

Shower activity will linger into Tuesday morning, especially
favoring north central Idaho and the Idaho/western Montana border.
Snow levels will drop overnight into Tuesday morning to roughly
4500 feet. An inch or two of slushy snow is possible for mountain
passes, especially Lolo, Lookout, Lost Trail and Marias.

Tuesday and Wednesday will see cooler, showery and breezy
conditions. Another wave of energy passing Tuesday night into
Wednesday morning will amplify mountain snow fall, bringing
another round of light snow accumulations to the mountain passes.

High pressure returns briefly Thursday into Friday, bringing
another period of warm and dry conditions. Temperatures will be
similar to those that occurred this past Sunday, if not a few
degrees warmer. Forecast models do show a cold front will move
through likely either Friday afternoon or Friday night. Depending
on the timing of the front, Friday afternoon could see some
thunderstorm activity in the warm southwesterly flow aloft. It
also could end up being quite windy, especially in southwest
Montana.

Overall, this weekend looks cooler with an active weather pattern
remaining in place. There are still some differences in forecast
models, with 30 percent showing a colder/wetter system, while
another 60 percent favor a quick moving trough that would mainly
result in showers but overall less precipitation.


&&

.AVIATION...Showers will continue to approach from the west, with
rain expected to continue through Tuesday. Some rain may mix with
snow down below 4500 feet, impacting terminals roughly between
0809Z/0815Z. Gusty southwest to westerly winds will be present at
all terminals, with gusts to 30 knots likely through this evening,
remaining elevated overnight and peaking again Tuesday
afternoon/evening. Locally higher gusts to 35 knots could occur.


&&

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

$$