Springlike weather expected midweek

North-central Montana finally saw a spot of wintry weather in the last week, but it looks like, at least temporarily, a warm spot is again on the way.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for high temperatures in the 30s most of the week, with a high near 50 degrees expected on Wednesday.

That follows a week of light snow and cold temperatures — with the lows below zero most of last week and 2.5 inches of snow now recorded for the month — that was the first serious winter seen in the Havre area.

December was warm and dry in the region, with the average for Havre 10 degrees warmer than the norm.

The weather in the Havre area was milder than other parts of the state, at least for snow.

Missoula reported nearly a foot-and-a-half of snow at the Weather Service reporting station by the end of last week, and roads in western and south-central Montana were closed to all but emergency traffic at some points and some schools in that region were closed Friday.

An advisory is out for Wednesday, with a chance of high winds coming in from the west. Weather Service has issued a forecast of high winds on the Rocky Mountain Front Tuesday through Wednesday, with a chance of blowing snow and poor visibility in the passes and in the mountains.

Aside from wind and the warm temperatures, the only other issue in the forecast for the Havre area this week is a chance of precipitation Wednesday and Thursday, with a snow level above 2,600 feet Thursday.

AccuWeather.com predicts the weather to stay fairly warm in the Havre area through next week, with a chance of an ice mix Monday but temperatures in the upper 20s and lower 30s through the weekend and a high of 42 expected Tuesday, Jan. 31.