BILLINGS- That’s right, it’s Christmas Eve and it is snowing in Billings. The temperature is right at 32 to 33 degrees around the city, and that is perfect for making snow.
Farther out west, there is a Winter Weather Advisory for areas of snow and slick travel. We could possibly see one to three or two to four inches of snow across most of the advisory area.
But the big story is the snow showing up on the Doppler radar and satellite imagery. It seems to be streaming in from the west and heading due east.
Once we pull back on the radar, you’ll notice the snow goes all the way towards Bozeman and there is even another batch of snow over by Missoula and all that is tracking into Billings.
This is all part of a larger system that’s moving onshore in northern California and Oregon.
All that moisture is following the jet stream up into the Pacific Northwest and into west-central Montana where more jet stream is taking it to Billings and into the central plains.
The high-resolution forecast model shows the snow showers will be dwindling after 6 p.m. and then another surge of moisture moves in about 7 p.m. Christmas bringing more snow.
That second batch of snow will hang around until Wednesday afternoon in south-central Montana.
After the snow leaves the Billings and vicinity, it will produce more snow into the eastern edge of the state on Wednesday afternoon.
The temperatures for the rest of the week will remain rather chilly mostly to the upper 20s and low 30s then bounce back up into the 40s by Sunday.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance for evening snow. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph in the evening shifting to the East overnight. Low 20°.
CHRISTMAS: Mostly cloudy and cool. East winds 5 to 10 mph. High 32 degrees.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance for snow in the morning then a slight chance for snow in the afternoon. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph. High 34 degrees.
