More snow hits, colder temps on the way

A short respite from wintry weather — though not of the snow piled on the ground — appears to be over with snow falling this morning, a winter weather advisory for Hill and Blaine counties extending into parts of Chouteau and Phillips counties through tonight and more normal winter temperatures predicted the rest of the week.

The winter advisory said the plains today can expect up to 4 inches of new snow, with the highest accumulations on the northern foothills on the Bear Paw Mountains and up to eight inches expected in the Bear Paws themselves.

The advisory in Phillips County including the Little Rocky Mountains near Zortman predicts up to 2 inches of new snow.

The advisory warns of slippery road conditions and possible reduced visibility with blowing snow.

Liberty County’s forecast calls for up to a half inch of new snow today and up to another half inch tonight.

Temperatures today are expected to hit the mid-30s then go into the upper teens or low- to mid-20s for lows tonight.

Highs the rest of the week are predicted to be in the upper 20s to low 30s with lows in the teens and 20s.

New Year’s Day and early next week is expected to see highs in the 20s and lows in the teens, with no snow in the forecast from Thursday through Tuesday.

That is closer to the normal temperatures for this time of year, with the normal high and low in Havre for today 29 degrees and 8 degrees.

This follows some severe up-and-down weather with heavy snow this month — Havre already has seen more than 2 feet of new snow in December — and lows near 40-below-zero last week followed by highs in the 40s Christmas Day.

The climate prediction center of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, of which National Weather Service is a part, says this region has a high chance of lower-than-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation through March.