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1-31 Morning Weather Update

By Steve Newton

Story Created: Jan 31, 2012 at 10:01 AM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 31, 2012 at 10:01 AM MDT

Clouds are being driven by some strong winds aloft, and some of those winds will be felt by us on the ground today. Winds could get breezy at times; Great Falls and Helena could see gusts around 35 mph. Winds are expected to be slightly stronger along the Rocky Mountain Front, gusting around 45 mph, and the western portion of the Hi-Line could see 30 mph gusts.

I’m expecting the sun to break through the clouds at times today and temperatures to be in the 40s across the region. These mild temperatures and breezy to windy conditions kind of go hand-in-hand, we can’t have the former during the winter months without the latter.

Clouds will continue to roll through tonight and into Wednesday, and temperatures will still be above average. The locations that usually provide the coolest overnight temps are only going to see the low 20s overnight. If more clouds settle in over the area, temps could be milder than that. Overnight, I’m seeing temps in the 20s across the region. A couple spots could drop into the teens, but conditions nonetheless are above average for this time of year.

Wednesday looks like it will be similar to today, with temps in the low to mid 40s and a sun/cloud mix. A small system is expected to pass over Wednesday night and during the day Thursday, bringing the chance of snow flurries to the area. The mountains have a better chance of seeing precipitation, but it’s not impossible for Great Falls, Helena, and the plains to see passing flurries. The system will pass rather quickly, leading to some relief from the wind.

The latest forecast models are showing the ridge of high pressure taking on different characteristics than what was seen yesterday. The ridge isn’t expected to bring temperatures as warm as the 50° mark, but the winds won’t be as strong as a result either. The sun and cloud mix will be seen over the weekend, but don’t be deceived by the mostly sunny skies; we’re only going into February.

Check back with the Pinpoint Weather Blog later this week, I plan to have the January Wrap Up and February Outlook posted Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

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Great Falls Great Falls Intl Airport, MT
Current Temp 83.0 °F
Fair
Wind : from the West at 17.3 gusting to 24.2 MPH (15 gusting to 21 KT)
Pressure : 1003.9 mb
Humidity : 12 %
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Helena Helena Regional, MT
Current Temp 84.0 °F
Fair
Wind : from the West at 11.5 gusting to 23.0 MPH (10 gusting to 20 KT)
Pressure : 1005.5 mb
Humidity : 17 %
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