Bozeman Winter Storm Watch and High Wind Warning Until Thursday 1/19/2012

Winter may official be here in Bozeman as there's another warning in effect....a BIG one. DETAILS HERE:

A Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from late tonight through
late Thursday night.

* Timing and main impact: an extensive and long-lasting plume of
Pacific moisture will move into and east of the Continental
beginning on Wednesday. This moisture will interact with the
cold air already in place across the region and a
frontal boundary located through southwest Montana to produce
widespread snow that will continue until early Friday morning.

* Snow accumulations: snowfall rates will generally be light
but will persist for an extended period... resulting in
accumulations of 6 to 8 inches across the plains and valleys
and 1 to 2 feet in the mountains. Occasional periods of
moderate to heavy snow are possible during this event...
especially along the Rocky Mountain front and mountain
ranges of southwest Montana.

* Winds and visibility: winds and fog accompanying the snow
will reduce local visibilities to less than one half mile at
times.

* Other impacts: expect roads to become snow covered and icy...
creating hazardous travel conditions.

* Locations affected include: White Sulphur Springs... Battle
Ridge Pass... Bozeman... Bozeman Pass... Targhee Pass... West
Yellowstone... Stanford... Lewistown... Lewistown Divide...
Boulder... Boulder Hill... Elk Park Pass... Homestake pass...
Whitehall... Townsend... Great Falls... Kings Hill Pass... Big
Hole Pass... Chief Joseph Pass... Dillon... Monida Pass...
Flesher Pass... Helena... Lincoln... MacDonald Pass... Rogers
Pass... Ennis... Norris Hill... Raynolds Pass... Twin Bridges

HIGH WIND WARNING TOO!

The National Weather Service in Great Falls has issued a high
wind watch... which is in effect from 2 PM MST this afternoon
through late tonight.

* Timing and main impact: a band of strong winds aloft will
combine with an increasing surface pressure gradient to produce
gusty winds across southwest Montana.

* Winds: west southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts near 60 mph
are possible... with higher gusts along ridge tops and through
mountain passes.

* Other impacts: drivers of high profile vehicles should be
prepared for strong cross winds... especially on north to south
roadways... including Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 287.

* Locations affected include: Battle Ridge Pass... Bozeman...
Bozeman Pass... Targhee Pass... West Yellowstone... Big Hole
Pass... Chief Joseph Pass... Dillon... Monida Pass... Ennis...
Norris Hill... Raynolds Pass... Twin Bridges... Boulder...
Boulder Hill... Elk Park Pass... Homestake pass... Whitehall...
Townsend