Snow then 80? Sure, Because It’s May in Montana

Almost any month in Montana can see wild swings in the weather.

But if you want proof of HOW wild it can be, May would be the perfect example to make your case to out-of-staters.

And this week promises to be especially astonishing, as we go from snow shutting down mountain pass travel, to our first 80-degree days this weekend.

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Even by Montana standards, this is crazy

This week, and especially Wednesday morning, could have convinced anyone but the oldest Montana cowboy that it was still January. The National Weather Service said low-pressure east of the Divide brought a mass of "wraparound moisture" across the Treasure State. That was bringing several inches of snow to the mountains, and as much as a foot of snow to locations above 6,000 feet.

Places such as MacDonald Pass, Rogers Pass, and Georgetown Lake were all receiving heavy snowfall. But the worst conditions by far were on Bozeman Pass, where the problems began late Tuesday night with traffic blockages. By Wednesday morning, some drivers were posting on social media that they had been stuck for hours, with deputies bringing gas to cars to keep people warm. MDT was requiring chains for trucks, and reporting disabled vehicles both east and westbound.

Not just the snow

Areas of the east Divide have been hammered with winds gusting to more than 60 miles an hour for days. And while most areas had calmed by Wednesday morning, locations on the Front were still pretty raw. One weather station west of the aptly named Freezeout Lake" still had gusts close to 60, and wind chills down to 19 degrees. In May.

RELATED: Montana Needs Moisture to Make Up for Snow Drought

Don't get weather whiplash

But forecasters are still watching for the big Montana switcheroo this weekend. High pressure settling over the Northern Rockies will bring ample sunshine. Some Western Montana locations could top 80 degrees for the first time, with most locations into the 70s.

But stay tuned. There's a lot of May left.