BILLINGS- It is a beautiful afternoon in Billings with mostly sunny skies and 59 degr2 p.m.t 2p.m.
It has been a breezy day so far in south-central Montana, and the winds were still blowing at 18 mph in the early afternoon.
We also have a High Wind Watch for the Front Range of the Rockies and a Wind Advisory for the Beartooth foothills.
Winds on the front range could gust to 75 mph and 65 mph in the Beartooth foothills.
In the past hour, we’ve had winds gusting from 37 to 39 mph on the eastern slopes of the divide. So the wind continues to be an issue again Wednesday across much of Montana.
The Doppler radar and satellite imagery shows the clouds and precipitation continue to travel from west to east in a zonal flow. This means they’ll travel across the state fairly rapidly today.
Plus, as long as a jet stream is along the Hi-Line, it will continue to jam up the rain and snow that’s gathering in British Columbia and Alberta.
The computer models show the snow will stay up in Canada through 6 p.m. Thursday, but by 6 a.m. Friday all the rain and snow that’s jammed up there will come down here in Montana.
In Billings, it will start off as rain then change to icy road conditions by noon Friday.
On Friday afternoon, it all changes to snow and the snow will continue to stay with us throughout the rest of the day on Friday and into the evening, and that night.
By Saturday morning the whole storm moves into Wyoming.
Billings could pick up two and a quarter inches of snow. Livingston could see five inches, six inches in Bozeman and four inches in Missoula.
The temperature in Billings will drop all we down the 27 for high on Saturday and then bounce back into the 40s early next week.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy and windy. West winds 15 to 30 mph. Low 36 degrees.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny and warm. West winds 10 to 20 mph. High 52 degrees.
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy and colder, rain and snow likely in the morning then rain and snow in the afternoon with accumulations possible, around two inches. North winds 10 to 20 mph. High 40 degrees.
