Mild Temperatures and Dry Weather to Dominate Montana This Week

Montana and northern Wyoming are experiencing a mild November pattern this week, featuring easing winds following a very gusty Sunday.

Strong winds that hammered the Rocky Mountain Front, north-central Montana, and south-central areas around Livingston, Nye, and the western foothills are gradually diminishing, while northeast Montana remains breezy before settling later tonight.

Monday turns cooler but remains relatively mild, with highs generally reaching the 50s across much of Montana and northern Wyoming. Western and northwest Montana will hold onto considerable cloud cover and isolated showers near the mountains and Canadian border, while central, eastern, and southern Montana stay dry with lighter winds.

FORECAST: Mild temperatures Wednesday, accumulating snow in mountain passes, heavy winds Thursday

A disturbance approaches the Northern Rockies on Monday night, bringing increased clouds, light precipitation to the western and central mountains, and renewed winds near the Rocky Mountain Front.

On Tuesday, widespread unsettled weather arrives as the system crosses the region, bringing more numerous showers to western Montana—though warm temperatures will keep snow mainly above 6,000 feet—along with light mountain precipitation along the Continental Divide and across southwest and central Montana.

South-central Montana could see isolated mountain and foothill showers with west winds gusting around 20 to 40 mph, and northeast Montana may catch a stray shower with limited measurable precipitation.

A ridge of high pressure begins taking control Wednesday, bringing dry and mild weather that sends temperatures into the upper 50s and 60s in many locations. Western Montana valleys, including the Flathead, Mission, Missoula, and Bitterroot valleys, will be the exception as strengthening valley inversions produce morning fog, low clouds, and colder conditions.

Scenic old barn western montana pasture mission mountains background near st ignatius

High pressure strengthens further on Thursday and Friday, producing mostly dry weather statewide and pushing November temperatures well above normal across the plains, while persistent inversions continue trapping patches of fog or low clouds in western valleys. The mild and largely dry pattern holds into Saturday before confidence decreases as the ridge shifts east and breaks down, potentially returning stronger southwest flow, wind, and renewed precipitation to western Montana.