Winter Storm Watch: Big Snow Targets Montana Passes This Week

Montana is going to be seeing a lot of people on the road over the next few days. With both Missoula and Bozeman hosting college football playoff games this Saturday, there are a lot of fans who are going to be traveling to the games. 

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch that is forecast to bring a lot of moisture into Montana starting today through the next seven to ten days. The higher the elevation the more chance drivers will see snow, especially over mountain passes. 

What the Winter Storm Watch Means for Montana

I spoke with Trent Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula, about what we can expect with the upcoming weather patterns. We are likely to see multiple pulses of precipitation, and some locations may see feet of snow by the time this weather pattern is done.  

Expected Snow Totals for Major Mountain Passes

For the 24-hour travel period from Friday to Saturday surrounding Missoula’s game, here’s what Smith says we can expect for snow totals for the passes.  

• Lookout Pass- 6" to 10” of snow 
• Lolo Pass – 3" to 8” of snow 
• Marias Pass – 3” to 8” of snow 
• Homestake Pass – 1" to 3” of snow 
• McDonald Pass – 1" to 3” of snow 
• Lost Trail Pass – 5" to 10” of snow 

We are expecting another pulse of moisture following this one, which will bring even more snow totals for Sunday into the middle and possibly the end of next week. 

READ MORE: Montana's Coldest Decembers On Record: Could This Year Join the List?

According to Smith, the passes on the Montana/Idaho border are going to predominantly see the most amount of snowfall with these systems. Homestake Pass and McDonald Pass will still see some significant snowfall, but not as much as the border.  

 Smith wants to remind people: If you are traveling in the mountains, prepare for winter.