The National Weather Service in Missoula is forecasting a bitterly cold weather system with arctic origins that will begin to impact Northwest Montana on Sunday, Feb. 2. This system could very well be colder than the one in December.

Light snow is expected to develop throughout Sunday morning and gradually shift south throughout the day. Accumulations will generally be light, between 1 and 3 inches by Monday morning, Feb. 3.

But this is only the beginning of the story, the forecasters say. Gusty northeast winds will strengthen across Northwest Montana late Sunday night and spread south throughout Monday, only to grow stronger during Monday and persist perhaps as long as Tuesday due to the advance of an extremely cold arctic air mass spilling over the Continental Divide.

Wind chill readings Monday night and Tuesday night will likely fall well below zero most areas of western Montana, especially near Hellgate and Bad Rock Canyon.

The coldest temperatures will come only after the full body of arctic air has settled in across the region and winds begin to lighten.

Though confidence in the details of temperatures hinge upon very challenging elements to forecast, such as cloud cover, the potential exists for this arctic punch to be more potent that the one experienced in December.

The weather forecasters advise that anyone with plans to be outdoors next week for any length of time should take extra precautions to remain safe and warm — especially children or citizens waiting for the bus. The well being of livestock and family pets are of specific concern given the time of year and potential for cold weather sensitivities and vulnerabilities.

For more information, visit online at www.weather.gov/missoula.