Snow and very gusty winds whipped up after a warm start to the day. Bozeman temps were in the upper 40s at the start of Tuesday, dropping rapidly at 9am.

If you must travel today, use extreme caution as gusty winds are creating whiteout conditions on roads all over southwest and western Montana. Even just an inch or two of snow falling will reduce visibilities at times to near zero.

(SIDE NOTE: I was hoping to run out to Three Forks from Bozeman just before 9am to pick up a couple of pies at the Iron Horse. It wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but I did decide to turn around at Manhattan as the wind was HOWLING and visibility was terrible. Pies can wait until tomorrow when things clear up.)

According to the National Weather Service:

  • WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON (Tuesday)
  • WHAT...Snow and blowing snow occurring. Total snow accumulations of up to 3 inches at pass levels with higher amounts possible above pass level.
  • Winds gusting as high as 50 mph...visibility will be quite poor at times.
  • WHERE...Northern Rocky Mountain Front, Central and Southern Lewis and Clark, Southern Rocky Mountain Front and Jefferson.
  • WHEN...Until 5 PM this afternoon (Tuesday)
  • IMPACTS...Travel could be difficult at times. Blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility at times.
  • PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling.
  • The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

As always, remember to keep an emergency kit in your vehicle at all times. Today is a perfect example of how quickly our weather and driving conditions can change. In a matter of minutes, the Bozeman area went from 47 degrees and overcast skies to near blizzard conditions.

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