GREAT FALLS, Mont. (NMB) – The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Great Falls wants to let the public know that a prolonged stretch of abnormally cold conditions is on the way.
Meteorologist Ray Greely says that current projections predict that the temperature could remain below zero from Christmas night through New Years.
“That’s when we could be seeing high temperatures below zero. And low temperatures – depending on whether we get clearing or not – that does play a major role in how low the temperatures get. So if it doesn’t clear out, it might stay in the teens below zero. But if it does clear up, we could get as low as 25 or 30 below in some places. And then as we head in towards next week, there’s going to be another reinforcing shot of cold air as well. And then the pattern really doesn’t look like it’s going to break until around New Years. But even then, there’s some uncertainty and it could even go beyond there.”
Greely provides these tips to stay safe in the cold weather:
“The biggest thing is to get your vehicle ready for this type of weather. You want to definitely be prepared with a safety kit in your car, make sure it’s winterized, make sure you have warm clothes ready to go. Typically, it’s not a big deal with frozen pipes or anything, but when temperatures do get this cold, sometimes you do have particularly with basements and things, a particular wall might be facing the wind and be vulnerable to freezing. So you want to look at that. Definitely (take care of) pets, the young, elderly, that sort of thing. It’s a very high risk of getting frostbite or even hypothermia when outdoors for a short amount of time.”
Snow may also occur during this stretch, but it is too early to tell when or how much.
Stay tuned to New Media Broadcasters for the latest weather updates as the cold front approaches.
