The National Weather Service office in Great Falls issued a Winter Weather Advisory early Saturday morning for the mountain ranges surrounding the Helena valley, with the warning running through midnight Saturday night. The advisory covers the Big Belt, Bridger, and Castle Mountains, along with the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains.

Forecasters are calling for additional snow accumulations up to five inches, with winds gusting as high as 40 mph. The NWS flagged slippery backcountry road conditions as the primary travel concern, and warned that wet and raw conditions could create a hypothermia risk for anyone recreating in the backcountry.

For Helena residents with weekend plans in the hills — hiking, fishing access roads, or mountain drives — the advisory is a reminder that May in Montana does not reliably mean spring at elevation. The advisory does not cover the valley floor, but roads climbing into the surrounding ranges should be treated with caution through tonight.