Denver, CO – Signs of early winter are sweeping across the Pacific Northwest and Rockies this weekend, with multiple Winter Storm Watches and Freeze Watches now in effect.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), several mountain ranges in Montana and Wyoming, including the Absaroka, Beartooth, Crazy, and Bighorn Mountains, could see 8 to 18 inches of snow above 8,000 feet beginning Saturday. The heaviest snowfall is expected through Sunday afternoon, with travel conditions becoming hazardous on high passes such as US-14 over Granite Pass and US-16 over Powder River Pass.
In Montana, Winter Storm Watches extend to the East Glacier Park Region and West Glacier Region, where 2 to 6 inches of snow may accumulate above 5,500 feet, potentially impacting Going-to-the-Sun Road and Logan Pass. The Gallatin and Madison County Mountains could also see heavy, wet snow, raising concerns for slushy roads, hypothermia risk, and possible power outages where trees still hold foliage.
Meanwhile, in southern Colorado, a Freeze Watch has been issued for the San Luis Valley, where subfreezing temperatures in the mid-to-upper 20s are possible late Saturday night into Sunday morning. The NWS in Pueblo warns frost and freeze conditions may kill crops, damage sensitive vegetation, and harm unprotected outdoor plumbing.
The Pacific Northwest is also under cold-weather alerts. The NWS in Medford, Oregon, has placed the Klamath Basin, Lake County, and parts of Modoc County, CA under a Freeze Watch Friday night into Saturday morning, with lows forecast between 26 and 32 degrees.
Forecasters urge residents and travelers across the Rockies and Northwest to prepare for rapidly changing conditions, protect vulnerable plants and plumbing, and avoid unnecessary backcountry travel during the watch periods.
