BILLINGS- Just a few clouds are all that is left of the brief rain shower in Billings early Tuesday afternoon.
The temperatures of been slow to warm up across Montana today. Most of the temps in the early afternoon were only in the 50s.
The thunderstorm outlook shows isolated showers expected in the central part of the Dakotas, but it was not picking up the showers of south-central Montana.
That was picked up by the Doppler radar network. Just some tiny showers with some BB-sized hail were reported in central Yellowstone County and Billings.
The reason the shower showed up in downtown Billings is because that’s where the jet stream is right now.
A few minor impulses were caught up in the jet stream and were whisked out of the area.
What we’re seeing is the extreme western edge of an upper-level trough sliding to the east.
Some of these impulses will be moving out of the area in another hour or two. Then mostly sunny skies are expected to return in the late afternoon to Billings.
We expect partly cloudy skies in the northwest corner of Montana Wednesday morning.
Then a backdoor cold front is forecast to sweep across Montana from the northeast by Wednesday evening.
We expect some of the rain to move in on Thursday. By Thursday night, some rain showers could be accompanied by snow flurries as temperatures get cold enough for snow.
Computer estimates for snowfall remain minimal for much of Montana and northern Wyoming.
Sheridan could see about half an inch of snow and everyone else will see just a light dusting on mainly the grassy areas.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Mostly clear and cool. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph low 39 degrees.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and warmer. West winds 15 to 25 mph. High 69 degrees.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance for showers and cooler.. Snow showers likely after 3 a.m. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph. High 54 degrees.
