Holiday gets a break in wintry weather

After some bitter cold and snow, the weather is giving this region a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, although colder temperatures and a chance of snow are back in the forecast for next week.

Some snow fell in this region this morning and was predicted to continue through early afternoon, but the highs for today were expected to be in the upper 30s.

The forecast for Thanksgiving Day in this area calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the 30s to low 40s, with lows Thursday night in the 20s.

Highs Friday are expected to be in the 40s, with a high of 50 predicted for Hays, with the highs Saturday and Sunday in the upper 30s to 40s and lows in the 20s.

Sunday night the lows are expected to be in the teens to 20s, but Monday the temperatures are again expected to drop, with highs in the 20s and lows in the single digits and highs in the teens Tueasday.

A chance of rain is in the forecast Friday with with a chance of rains mixed with snow later in the day, then a slight chance of snow Saturday and Sunday with a chance of snow continuing through Tuesday.

But that forecast is mild compared to what the area saw the previous two weeks.

After unseasonably warm temperatures in the area for the start of November - Havre recorded a high of 66 Halloween Day, Oct. 31, and 65 Nov. 1 - snow fell and temperatures plummeted, with several days of sub-zero lows.

Havre hit a low of minus 18 Nov. 12, with the high that day 13 degrees. The National Weather Service recording station at the Havre-City County Airport has reported 5.4 inches of snow falling this month.

The temperatures started to moderate last week, with the last below-zero day recorded in Havre Saturday, Nov. 12, with a low of minus 13 degrees.

The highs went up that week, with Havre breaking the freezing point with a high of 32 degrees Monday, Nov. 14, and staying in the 20s and 30s in the following days, with Havre hitting 42 degrees Tuesday and sitting at 43 degrees this morning.