A snowstorm is expected to bring significant accumulation to Northwest Montana beginning on Sunday, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Missoula.

Six to 8 inches is forecast to dump on the Flathead Valley throughout the duration of the storm, which could last several days. Up to a foot is forecast to dump on Bigfork and Lakeside, while snowfall totals from 1 to 1 1/2 feet are possible in the Swan Valley and out toward Essex.

Travis Booth, a meteorologist with the agency’s Missoula office, said the heaviest snowfall is expected beginning Sunday night into Monday.

While areas further south are likely to see some freezing rain and sleet along with the storm, Booth said the past week’s arctic air should keep valleys in the region from breaking the freezing mark.

The city of Kalispell on Friday announced that crews will likely begin snow removal operations early Monday after the heavy snow expected Sunday afternoon. With the snow already accumulated in some areas of town, crews will use side-street parking to store snow plowed from the road, the city said Friday. If the curbs are already crowded, plows may even push snow onto the sidewalks to accommodate traffic.

High temperatures are expected to reach into the upper 20s in Kalispell from Sunday through Tuesday, then drop back into the teens later in the week.