Winter Weather Advisory: Late-Season Storm Brings Up to 5 Inches of Snow and 50 MPH Gusts to Northern State

The advisory was issued at 12:27 PM MDT Tuesday by NWS Missoula and is one of several National Weather Service Winter Weather Advisories currently active across the country. The same Pacific trough that brought wintry mix to the Cascades earlier in the week is delivering one last late-season hit to the Northern Rockies before the pattern turns warmer for the weekend.

Affected Zone

West Glacier Region above 5,000 feet is forecast to receive wet snow accumulating 2 to 5 inches with gusts to 50 mph. This zone covers the alpine and subalpine terrain of the park's western side, including the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor from roughly the Loop upward, Logan Pass itself, and the high country accessed from the Highline Trail and Hidden Lake. NWS wording: hazardous conditions in the backcountry, gusty winds may bring down tree branches, snowfall could impact roads.

Lower elevations on the west side of the park (Apgar, Lake McDonald, the West Glacier area) sit below the advisory threshold and will see rain and gusty wind rather than accumulating snow.

Road Conditions

The advisory does not directly impact major interstates. Interstate 90 runs roughly 80 miles south of the park through Missoula and stays well clear of the storm zone. US Highway 2, which wraps the southern boundary of the park and crosses Marias Pass at 5,213 feet, sits right at the elevation threshold of the advisory and is the corridor most likely to see slick spots and reduced visibility Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon.

Inside the park, only the lower west-side section of Going-to-the-Sun Road from Apgar to Avalanche Creek is currently open. The alpine section above Avalanche Creek through Logan Pass to the east side remains closed for the season while crews continue snow clearing. The storm will not affect drivers in the open lower section beyond rain and gusty wind at low elevation.

What drivers should know:

• US-2 over Marias Pass: snow and wind possible Wednesday night into Thursday, slick spots likely, allow extra time
• Going-to-the-Sun Road (Apgar to Avalanche Creek): open, rain and gusts at low elevation, no closures expected
• Going-to-the-Sun Road above Avalanche Creek: closed for the season, no public access regardless of weather
• I-90 in western Montana: not affected, normal travel conditions
• Many Glacier and Two Medicine roads: seasonal openings vary, check status before driving

Montana road conditions are at mdt.mt.gov/travinfo or by calling 511.

What to Watch For

The advisory ends 3 PM MDT Thursday. Crews will assess Friday morning. The medium-range forecast from the Weather Prediction Center points to another upper trough moving into the Northwest over the weekend, which could bring additional high-elevation precipitation chances to the Northern Rockies between May 15 and May 19. Probabilities are not yet at advisory level, but the pattern is not finished.

For anyone planning a Glacier trip in late May or early June: do not change plans on a single advisory. The park is open. Lower elevations are accessible. Opening date for the full road will be announced by NPS when crews complete the upper sections, and that announcement is the moment to lock in alpine plans.

This article will be updated as conditions evolve.

Sources: NWS Missoula Winter Weather Advisory (issued 12:27 PM MDT Tuesday May 12, 2026, product code O.NEW.KMSO.WW.Y.0022), Weather Prediction Center Day 1 to 7 outlook (May 12, 2026), National Park Service Glacier National Park road status and 2026 visitor information.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 12:23 AM.