Montana News Roundup: Big Dump of Snow Tonight

Real Montanans know you don't take off your snow tires in April, and that's certainly going to be the case across parts of the state later today into Thursday morning, as a cold front and plenty of moisture are bringing back the snow.

The National Weather Service has issued Winter Weather Advisories for nearly all of Western Montana, as snow levels drop to 3,000 feet, with a 70% chance of 1 to 3 inches of snow in the higher valleys and mountain passes.

-A wind advisory is up for the Flathead, Mission, Missoula, and Bitterroot Valleys.

The Winter Weather Advisories extend east of the Divide as well, along the Front, and south of Great Falls.

The big snow in Southwest MT

Winter Storm Watches are issued in the Upper Missouri Valley from Helena to Bozeman, south into the Madison Range, and east to Red Lodge. Heavy snow is possible there from this afternoon through late Thursday night, with 6-to-10 inches in the passes and a foot or more of snow in the high country, with winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.

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Bernie Could Get Big Missoula Welcome

No one seems to have a solid estimate on how many people may show in Missoula today to hear Senator Bernie Sanders continue his rally against the influence of billionaires and the Trump Administration. Thousands are expected as security is tight.

What's happened before- Sanders has been a popular draw before, with an estimated 9000 people turning out when he spoke in Caras Park when he was running for President.

U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen is issuing a temporary restraining order to protect two MSU students, who claim they've been ordered out of the country, even though they had current student visas.

NEW THIS MORNING: Is Montana Becoming a Drug Pipeline? 

Bet Your Spring Cleaning Isn't This Hard  

Spring cleaning goes big in Missoula as the city estimates it removed upwards of 3 tons of debris during its annual cleanup along the Clark Fork River west of downtown Tuesday.

The city has taken to cleaning up before spring runoff hits, removing items left by urban campers along the river. 60-plus staff members were involved.

Montana Wayback Wednesday

❓It was this week in April 1867 that 32-year-old John Bozeman set out on what would be his final trip to buy some flour, only to be killed on the trail. His companion blames the Blackfeet, but historians are never certain of his killer.