902 FXUS65 KTFX 061953 AFDTFXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 153 PM MDT Mon Oct 6 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- After another cold night tonight, general dry condtions and above average temperatures are expected for the remainder of the workweek.
- A low pressure system and cold front will then bring windy conditions, increased shower activity, and mostly mountain snow this weekend.
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.DISCUSSION...
- Meteorological Overview:
Upper-level ridging will build across the Northern Rockies and Montana today and tomorrow, resulting in general dry and mild conditions for much of the workweek following another cold night tonight. An upper-level trough will split over western Canada on Wednesday. A portion of its energy will track east and well north of the area, bringing a slightly cooler airmass south across the plains on Thursday. A larger portion of the upper troughs energy will dive southwestward and offshore, leading to an amplification of the upper ridge downstream across the western US through Friday. Dry conditions will prevail across the area through at least Friday, with temperatures likely to peak around 10-15 degrees above seasonal averages on Friday. Medium-range model ensembles generally agree that the offshore trough will progress inland this weekend, leading to a transition to cooler and unsettled conditions by Sunday, which may then persist into early next week.
- Forecast Confidence & Scenarios:
Looking ahead to the weekend, there is reasonable confidence in a transition to cooler, unsettled conditions. However, details typical of this timeframe, such as the exact timing of the trough`s push inland, remain less certain. This will influence how long warmth lingers into Saturday, with some spread still among ensemble members. Uncertainty increases later in the weekend due to the interaction of additional shortwave energy dropping into the upper trough as it moves into the Northern Rockies. This interaction is key to determining the placement of moisture and the overall strength of the system. Regardless of the system`s strength, windy conditions appear likely at some point during the weekend transition. Precipitation timing and amounts are highly uncertain, though currently, the NBM indicates a 50-80% probability for at least 0.10 amounts and a 30-50% probability for amounts exceeding 0.25 late Saturday through Monday for much of the area. - Hoenisch
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.AVIATION... 06/18Z TAF Period
Other than some localized lingering fog and low clouds early in the afternoon, VFR conditions prevail. Confidence in fog or low clouds developing again tonight is too low to warrant mention in any TAFs at this time. -AM
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.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 33 69 42 72 / 0 0 0 0 CTB 33 68 36 68 / 0 0 0 0 HLN 32 67 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 BZN 27 65 32 70 / 0 0 0 0 WYS 17 58 22 59 / 0 0 0 0 DLN 29 64 31 66 / 0 0 0 0 HVR 31 70 37 73 / 0 0 0 0 LWT 29 67 41 73 / 0 0 0 0
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.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
$$ http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
NWS TFX Office Area Forecast Discussion