BILLINGS – The sun was out and the grass is green across most of the Yellowstone Valley at 2 p.m. Thursday.
The temperatures were still into the mid-70s with showers out on the horizon.
The thunderstorm Outlook for Thursday shows isolated showers across most of western Montana.
There is a marginal risk of severe storms in the eastern edge of the state and a slight risk for severe storms with 1-inch hail possible in Carter County of extreme Southeast Montana.
The Doppler radar shows the showers and thunderstorms continue to develop out west, but big storms are firing up over the Black Hills of South Dakota.
That is why we have a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. for Carter County in the extreme southeast corner of Montana.
We still have flooding issues along the Musselshell River at Shawmut. That river is still out of its banks.
Plus we have a Flood Watch from Glacier National Park down to Meagher County. Additional rain there is causing rivers and streams go out of their banks.
In addition to that, we have a Flash Flood warning for Blaine and a Phillips County. Three inches of rain have already fallen, and that’s creating more flooding issues.
Most of the rivers in West central Montana are still flooding and are expected to go higher with additional rain today.
Our forecast model shows a line of showers moving in to south-central Montana this evening about 6 p.m. and producing spotty showers then.
Plus a new cold front drops down from Canada on Friday and is bringing more rain and cooler temperatures for the weekend.
BILLINGS FORECAST
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance for showers and thunderstorms this evening. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Low 52 degrees.
Friday: Mostly cloudy with a 60 percent chance for showers likely and colder. North winds 10 to 20 mph. High 57 degrees.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance for showers in the morning and again in the afternoon. North East winds 5 to 15 mph. High 58 degrees.
