804
FXUS65 KMSO 180929
AFDMSO

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
329 AM MDT Sat Oct 18 2025

.DISCUSSION...

KEY MESSAGES:

-  Southerly breezes and periods of light precipitation begin late
   Saturday

-  Minor travel impacts over mountain passes Sunday night/Monday
   due to snowfall

Saturday starts with scattered areas of ground fog, mainly around
rivers. Then most of the day will have breaks in the clouds along
with temperatures that warm into the 50s. Already however our next
system can be seen on satellite pushing into British Columbia
Canada. Late afternoon Saturday the system will begin to affect
far northwest MT. Expect breezy southerly winds, especially in the
Camas Prairie ID.

Precipitation will begin in NW MT by late afternoon and push
southeast on Sunday, driven by a Pacific Cold Front. Initially,
snow levels will climb above 7000 feet for much of our region
before collapsing again below 5000 feet behind the cold front
Sunday afternoon. While most of the precipitation will fall while
the snow levels are high, area mountains overnight Sunday could
receive 3 to 6 inches of snow, with locally higher amounts in the
Bitterroot and Mission Mountains along with the Swan Range. Local
area passes such as Lolo, Lookout, and Lost Trail could receive a
couple wet inches. While Marias Pass has the best chance to see
winter driving impacts with a range of 5 to 8 inches by Monday
morning. The highest impacts may be for back country users with
the `cold and wet` leading to potential hypothermia conditions.
Plan accordingly if heading into the back country.

After Monday the region will experience a warming trend and by
Friday could be 15 degrees above normal under southwesterly flow.
That southwesterly flow will be the harbinger of the first
potentially impactful mountain snow storm of the season. There is
a moderate risk for heavy snow, October 25 to 27th. More to come
on this system.


&&

.AVIATION...Patchy morning valley fog or low stratus may
redevelop this morning. Southerly winds during the afternoon are
expected in front of another Pacific Cold Front. Expect periods of
light precipitation after midnight temporarily reducing visibility
and ceilings during the day tomorrow.


&&

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

$$