Say What, Montana? -50 Degree Wind Chill and More Snow This Week
If you thought dealing with all this snow has been tough, we ain't seen nothing yet. Montana is about to experience life threatening cold, with wind chills as low as -50. Yes, FIFTY BELOW ZERO possible.
People traveling early for the holiday weekend might want to consider a backup plan. Hoping for an early morning Uber on Wednesday or Thursday morning? They MIGHT be limited. If you're hitting the road yourself, please make sure that Emergency Kit it properly stocked and the vehicle is in good shape.
- WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
- WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO 6 PM THURSDAY.
- WHAT...For the Winter Storm Watch, heavy snow possible.
- Total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches possible.
- Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
- For the Wind Chill Warning, dangerously cold wind chills expected.
- Wind chills as low as 50 below zero.
- WHERE...Portions of central and southwest Montana.
- WHEN...For the Winter Storm Watch, from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.
- For the Wind Chill Warning, from Noon Wednesday to 6 PM Thursday.
- IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions.
- Blowing snow can significantly reduce visibility.
- The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes.
- The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 5 minutes.
- Wind chills will be coldest Wednesday night through early Thursday afternoon.
- Avoid outside activities if possible. When outside, make sure you wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves.
These are absolutely life-threatening conditions and if your schedule is at all flexible, consider staying safe at home as much as possible during the extreme periods. A simple problem like a flat tire or a dead battery becomes much more serious with heavy snowfall and severe wind chill.
Expect emergency services to be extremely busy already...anything we can do to stay out of trouble is the right thing to do. Road conditions are expected to be quite bad, even IF wind chills don't get as bad as expected. Stay out of trouble, and don't become another statistic.