Winter Storm Advisory for Northern Rockies: 6-12″ Forecasted by New Year’s

Idaho & Montana are about to get some good snow amounts.  6-12 inches of snow are forecast between now and 5am on New Year’s Day.

Montana has been chosen to win the January game by NOAA.  NOAA is forecasting above average precipitation and below average temperatures for Montana in January.  This is hopefully the start to a very good new year in Montana.

Light to moderate Snow will be on the increase tonight with total snow amounts ranging from 6 to 10 inches for mountain passes and anywhere from a trace to 4 inches for the valleys over a 36 hour period. – NOAA, Missoula, MT

NOAA:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
259 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM MST WEDNESDAY...

* TIMING AND MAIN IMPACT: SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE ROCKY
  MOUNTAIN FRONT EARLY THIS EVENING THEN SPREAD TO SOUTHWEST
  MONTANA LATE THIS EVENING AND AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW WILL CONTINUE
  INTO TUESDAY EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT
  POOR VISIBILITIES AND SNOW COVERED AND ICY ROADS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES
  ARE EXPECTED FOR THE PASSES BUT 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS.
  SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE VALLEYS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 1 TO 3
  INCHES.

* WINDS AND VISIBILITY: WESTERLY WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WILL RESULT IN
  LOCAL BLOWING SNOW. VISIBILITIES WILL BE LESS THAN ONE- HALF
  MILE AT TIMES IN FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW.

* LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE: BATTLE RIDGE PASS...BOZEMAN...
  BOZEMAN PASS...TARGHEE PASS...WEST YELLOWSTONE...LEWISTOWN
  DIVIDE...BOULDER HILL...ELK PARK PASS...MARIAS PASS...BIG HOLE
  PASS...CHIEF JOSEPH PASS...MONIDA PASS...FLESHER PASS...
  LINCOLN...MACDONALD PASS...ROGERS PASS...NORRIS HILL...
  RAYNOLDS PASS.