Weather Alerts for Montana

Recent Locations: Donald, OR Clintondale, NY Butte, MT

1. High Wind Warning for: East Glacier Park Region; Northern High Plains; Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera; Southern Rocky Mountain Front; Southern High Plains

2. High Wind Watch for: Crazy Mountains

3. High Wind Watch for: Eastern Toole and Liberty; Hill County; Northern Blaine County; Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton; Upper Blackfoot and MacDonald Pass; Gates of the Mountains; Little Belt and Highwood Mountains; Snowy and Judith Mountains; Helena Valley; Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains; Meagher County Valleys; Elkhorn and Boulder Mountains; Canyon Ferry Area; Missouri Headwaters; Gallatin Valley

4. High Wind Watch for: Livingston Area; Beartooth Foothills

5. High Wind Watch for: Northern Stillwater; Golden Valley; Judith Gap; Northern Sweet Grass; Melville Foothills; Southern Wheatland

6. High Wind Watch for: Southwest Phillips

7. High Wind Watch for: Western and Central Chouteau County; Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine; Cascade County below 5000ft; Judith Basin County and Judith Gap; Fergus County below 4500ft

8. High Wind Watch for: Western and Central Chouteau County; Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine; Cascade County below 5000ft; Judith Basin County and Judith Gap; Fergus County below 4500ft

9. Winter Storm Warning for: Absaroka/Beartooth Mountains

10. Winter Storm Warning for: Crazy Mountains

11. Winter Weather Advisory for: Paradise Valley; Livingston Area

12. Winter Weather Advisory for: Pryor/Northern Bighorn Mountains; Northeast Bighorn Mountains

13. Winter Weather Advisory for: Red Lodge Foothills; Beartooth Foothills

14. Winter Weather Advisory for: Southern Rosebud; Southern Big Horn; Bighorn Canyon; Sheridan Foothills

Want more detail? Get the Complete 7 Day and Night Detailed Forecast!

Current U.S. National Radar--Current

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National Weather Forecast--Current

The Current National Weather Forecast and National Weather Map are shown below.

National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow

Tomorrow National Weather Forecast and Tomorrow National Weather Map are show below.

North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

This map shows recent moisture content over North America. Bright and colored areas show high moisture (ie, clouds); brown indicates very little moisture present; black indicates no moisture.

Weather Topic: What is Sleet?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet

Sleet Next Topic: Snow

Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones, and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.

The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is freezing rain.

Next Topic: Snow

Weather Topic: What are Stratocumulus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Stratocumulus Clouds

Next Topic: Stratus Clouds

Stratocumulus clouds are similar to altocumulus clouds in their fluffy appearance, but have a slightly darker shade due to their additional mass.

A good way to distinguish the two cloud types is to hold your hand out and measure the size of an individual cloud; if it is the size of your thumb it is generally an altocumulus cloud, if it is the size of your hand it is generally a stratocumulus cloud.

It is uncommon for stratocumulus clouds to produce precipitation, but if they do it is usually a light rain or snow.

Next Topic: Stratus Clouds