Winter is back with a vengeance as temperatures started plummeting yesterday around 5pm and it’s snowing hard this morning. Temperatures this morning are mostly in the mid teens F. Winds this morning are blowing 5-10 mph gusting to 20 mph at ridgetops mostly from the north except in the Bridgers where winds are coming from the east with gusts hitting 40 mph.

6am snow totals are:

7” snow (0.6” water) - Bridger Range

5” snow (0.5” water) - Cooke City area

3” snow (0.2” water) - Big Sky area

no new snow near West Yellowstone and Island Park

Today will be cold, cloudy, snowy, and windy as the center of a low pressure trough circles overhead. Expect winds to increase by midday blowing from the north-northeast 20 mph gusting to 40 mph. Temperatures will struggle to break into the low 20s F.

Snowfall should end tonight with most places getting another 2-4”, but the Bridgers could get a bit more. Clearing skies tonight could allow temperatures to drop into the single digits F.  The Beartooth Mountains and Red Lodge area could do well with snowfall today. (Red Lodge Mountain opens for skiing and riding tomorrow through the weekend)

Looking ahead - The jet stream is a bit disorganized with no major systems lined up, but the overall trend through the rest of April is cool and wet. Friday & Saturday have clear skies, then snowfall returns early Sunday morning into Monday.