Dangerous Winds Sweep Through Montana: Travel Precautions Urged

Dangerous winds are whipping through many counties in central and northern Montana on Tuesday. Wind gusts up to 60 MPH, when combined with falling snow are creating difficult travel conditions.

The dangerous winds are affecting both lower elevations and mountain ranges. There are several Warnings in effect, each with slightly different concerns. Here are some Montana Wind Warnings for Tuesday:

A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TUESDAY EVENING.
WHAT...Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph.
WHERE...Eastern Toole and Liberty Counties, Judith Basin County and Judith Gap, Fergus County below 4500ft, and Snowy and Judith Mountains.
WHEN...Until 11 PM Tuesday evening.
IMPACTS...High winds may move loose debris, damage property and cause power outages.
Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... People are urged to secure loose objects that could be blown around or damaged by the wind.
A High Wind Warning means that there is at least an 80% chance of 40 mph sustained winds or 58 mph wind gusts occurring during the warning period.

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A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TUESDAY EVENING.
WHAT...Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph.
WHERE...The foothills and plains adjacent to the Rocky Mountain Front, and Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera Counties.
WHEN...Until 11 PM Tuesday evening.
IMPACTS...High winds may move loose debris, damage property and cause power outages.
Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

In addition to the dangerous, gusty winds - several high elevations in Montana are expecting large amounts of snowfall from this latest storm. For example:

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM WEDNESDAY.
WHAT...Heavy snow expected.
Total snow accumulations of 7 to 14 inches in northerly upslope favored areas, with 2 to 7 inches possible elsewhere including in Great Falls Area.
Isolated totals approaching 2 feet are possible between Armington Junction and Geyser.
Winds could gust as high as 60 mph.
WHERE...Cascade County below 5000ft, Fergus County below 4500ft, and Judith Basin County and Judith Gap.
WHEN...Until 5 AM Wednesday.
IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible at times.
Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.

PHOTOS: 12 of the Prettiest Views in Montana

Montana is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The best small towns in Montana are easy to find if you know where to look. And an interesting part of enjoying it's beauty is that you don't even have to leave the road to see stunning scenery. Simply driving on our major roads will supply you with picture perfect views.

We put together this series of pictures that we found only with Google Street View. If the Google car didn't go there, neither did we. Every shot here is a screen grab of somewhere on a road in Montana.

Gallery Credit: mwolfe