The sky in Billings is filled with smoke again on Thursday, but if you can get above the layer of smoke you would see mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures.
In fact, many temperatures are heading for the 90s across much of eastern Montana on this Thursday afternoon.
Most of the smoke from the Northwest fires, in Montana, is headed up into southern Canada, from there the smoke drops back down into eastern Montana today.
But it is still the Northwest corner of the state that has the air quality issues. There, an Air Quality Warning has been extended into Friday morning at 8 a.m.
For the rest of the West we have a Fire Weather Watch which goes into effect Friday afternoon and stays until midnight Friday night.
Dry thunderstorms and gusty winds will make for some erratic fire behavior and possibly new fire starts in western Montana.
The air quality in the Northwest is considered unhealthy while the rest of Montana has moderate to good air quality until you get to West Yellowstone and Yellowstone National Park.
The Doppler radar shows you a new batch of monsoonal moisture is starting to make its way into Western Montana; where it could produce some showers and thunderstorms there later today.
The high resolution forecast model shows the cloudy skies and showers will make their way into southwestern Montana by 6 PM Thursday.
After that, a new batch of moisture moves into the West by 6 p.m. Friday and those showers may make it into the Billings area later Friday night and Saturday morning.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: him have mostly clear areas of smoke and mild. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Low 61°.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and hot. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph. High 94°.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with showers likely in the morning. Then look for a 60% chance for showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. West winds 10 to 20 mph. High 81°.
