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Q2 Weather: Hot and smoky Friday in Billings, but big cool down this weekend

Posted at 3:35 PM, Aug 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-17 18:45:21-04

BILLINGS- It is another smoky day in the Big Sky. it’s just hard to see that sky because of all the smoke.

The temperatures have already made it into 90s in northeastern Montana and are spreading west as the day wears on.

However, it is a little cooler out in the west in the early afternoon. That’s because we are seeing monsoonal moisture moving into the west right now.

The smoke from the western fires continues to spread up into Montana and add to the smoke from the British Columbia fires in Canada.

With all these fires around, it’s little wonder we are seeing thicker smoke moving into Montana, the Dakotas and the rest of the upper Great Lakes.

Now the smoke has made it as far east as Halifax, Nova Scotia, and out over the Atlantic Ocean.

All the smoke continues to muck up the air for the northwestern corner the state where we have an Air Quality Warning until conditions improve.

And for the rest of western Montana, we have a Red Flag Warning until midnight due to dry thunderstorms and gusty winds expected in the area.

This could cause erratic fire behavior and more fire starts out West.

Our high-resolution forecast shows more showers moving into western Montana around an upper level low which will then track across south-central Montana into the Black Hills of South Dakota.

We don’t expect any big storms in the Billings area on Friday, but we could see more showers move through the area early Saturday morning and again Saturday night.

So even though our temps will get into the 90s on Friday they will roll back into the 60s and 70s by 2 p.m. Saturday.

BILLINGS FORECAST

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance for evening showers or thunderstorms and again overnight. Look for areas of smoke and gusty winds around some thunderstorms. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph. Low 65 degrees.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with a 60 percent chance for showers and thunderstorms in the morning and again in the afternoon. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph. High 80 degrees.

SUNDAY: Decreasing clouds with a 20 percent chance for showers and thunderstorms in the morning and again that evening. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph. High 77 degrees.

https://mediaassets.ktvq.com/cordillera-network/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/08/17151548/BOB-MT-Forecast-High-Resolution8-17-18.png
Forecasat shows storms moving into south centrsal Montana Saturday night