Flathead Valley residents in the state's northwest corner woke to white tops on Blacktail Mountain and Whitefish Mountain Resort, their two local ski hills. Lone Peak, outside Bozeman, tallied a few inches of snow at both Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin. Snow also fell mid-state in the Little Belt Mountains, blanketing Showdown from top to bottom. Weather pundits predict the polar jet stream will dip southward in the next week, bringing colder air and storms. Those storms may herald a few more inches of snow amid showers. Montanans can expect the months leading up to the ski season to bring above average precipitation with normal temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in contrast with most of the rest of the country with higher than normal thermometer readings predicted.