BILLINGS — Expect mostly sunny and dry weather on Tuesday, with daytime highs in the 60s and 70s. Wednesday will begin pleasantly but will become cloudier later in the day, with highs in the 60s to low 70s. Unsettled weather will start Wednesday afternoon as a low-pressure system and cold front approach, bringing rain and snow from Wednesday afternoon through Friday.
Winter Storm Watches will be in effect for area mountains and foothills on Wednesday and Thursday (Friday in some areas), as a hefty amount of snow is expected. The mountains could see over 10 inches of snowfall, and foothills may receive more than 6 inches by Friday morning.
Rain and isolated thunderstorms in lower elevations on Wednesday afternoon will transition to snow overnight into Thursday morning, with snow showers continuing through Friday morning, possibly lingering into the afternoon in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming. Areas along a line from Harlowton to Roundup to Sheridan, WY, may get 2-5 inches of snow. Billings could see 2-3 inches, along with over an inch of total moisture.
It will also be quite windy on Thursday, with gusts between 30-50 mph possible along the western foothills and between 20-30 mph elsewhere.
By Friday afternoon, high pressure is expected to bring dry conditions through Saturday, but some models suggest another system may bring precipitation on Sunday.
Daytime highs will be in the 30s and 40s on Thursday, mainly 40s on Friday, then 50s and 60s on Saturday through Monday.
Nighttime lows will be in the 30s and 40s on Tuesday night, 20s and 30s on Wednesday and Thursday nights, 20s on Friday night, 20s and 30s on Saturday night, and then 30s on Sunday night.
Miller Robson
Q2 Morning Meteorologist
miller.robson@ktvq.com
