BILLINGS- That was quite an Arctic cold front that moved through this weekend in the Billings area. In fact, it’s so cold, it stuck around for the early part of this week.
At 2 p.m., Billings was reporting a temperature of -4 degrees with a wind chill factor of -24 degrees.
Other temperatures around the state this morning were very chilly. Jordan reported -20, it was -13 in Glendive, Miles City reported -11 degrees and here in Billings, it was -9 degrees.
Our current temperatures still remain below zero across most of eastern Montana. Out west, we are least above zero but not by much, and Worland, Wyo., is reporting 9 degrees above zero.
We currently have a Winter Weather Advisory for the southwest corner the state for two to four inches of snow in the valleys and up to four to eight inches of snow in the mountains.
That stays with us until 3 p.m. Tuesday. Plus we have an Avalanche Warning for the backcountry. Unstable layers could cause significant avalanches in mountainous terrain.
And most of eastern Montana, including Billings, has a Wind Chill Advisory for wind chills down to 35 below zero, until 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The Doppler radar shows the snow showers that fell earlier continue to push through eastern Montana.
That’s one of many waves of moisture to come our way, thanks to an upper-level, low-pressure cell that’s off the coast of Oregon slinging copious amounts of moisture our way.
The high-resolution forecast model shows that some of the snow showers will become downsloping off the Beartooths and inhibit snowfall develop for Billings.
The computer says it won’t be until about 3 p.m. Tuesday when the snow starts making its way into the Billings area.
Shortly after that, the stuff moves out of the region, and the snowfall will overshoot or undershoot Billings again.
It looks like snowfall amounts will probably remain light for Billings, according to the Canadian and Rapid Precision Models.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance for snow overnight. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph. creating a wind chill of -35. Low -10 degrees.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy with a 60 percent chance for morning snow and again in the afternoon accumulations of an inch or less. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph, creating a wind chill factor of -35 degrees.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance for snow in the morning. North winds 5 to 15 mph. High near zero.
