The National Weather Service is forecasting a one-two-three punch of winter weather for Western Montana over the next week.

First will come snow, then high winds, then very cold temperatures, according to Peter Felsch, a Weather Service meteorologist based In Missoula.

“We’re going to be impacted by several weather systems coming out of the north,” Felsch said Friday afternoon. “As we speak right now ... we’re starting to see some light snow near the border at Eureka.”

The forecast for today calls for light snow (about 1 to 2 inches) in the valleys and about 3 to 5 inches at higher elevations, particularly along the Continental Divide. Heavier accumulations are being forecast for the east front, prompting a winter storm warning from the Service’s Great Falls office from through today.

The forecast for the University of Montana Grizzly playoff football game predicts up to 2 inches of snow in Missoula, with highs in the 20s and northeast winds of about 15 mph.

Starting late tonight, “the main impact will be very gusty winds from the east and colder temperatures,” Felsch said.

With winds gusting to 35 to 40 mph across much of Western Montana, Felsch said there will be “very dangerous” wind-chill lows of minus 10 to minus 20 on Sunday.

Winds are expected to taper off by Monday, but it will still be frigid, with the high forecast for the Flathead expected to 3 to 10 degrees and lows at 3 below to 10 below.

Temperatures will be below normal through most of the week, Felsch said, with a potential for heavy snow in some areas by the latter part of the week.