BILLINGS — A significant and active weather pattern will continue to affect south-central Montana and surrounding areas. Here’s a summary of the key points:
An upper low is centered over south-central Montana as of Wednesday evening. This is leading to showers and weak thunderstorms in the vicinity.
Expected precipitation totals through Thursday will range from 0.10 to over an inch, with the highest totals in the mountains and foothills west of Billings. As the upper low shifts eastward and interacts with another low over the northern Midwest, there's an increased chance for precipitation, particularly in the eastern regions of Montana on Friday.
Heavy snowfall will persist in the mountains west of Billings above 7,000 feet until Thursday morning, with additional accumulations of 10 to 20 inches anticipated on northwest-facing slopes. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Pryor/Bighorn mountains, with snow expected to resume Wednesday night and additional accumulations of 2-5 inches.
As the upper low moves out, northwest winds will strengthen, generating gusts between 20-40 mph, with some areas in eastern Montana gusting to 40 to 50 mph.
A shortwave ridge will bring some drier conditions to the western and central regions on Friday, with continued wrap-around precipitation in the east. A new shortwave is expected to bring showers and isolated thunderstorms to the western areas Friday afternoon and evening.
Over the weekend, while drier conditions are expected, there may still be showers in the southwest mountains. Models indicate a significant upper trough and low moving from the Pacific Northwest to the central Rockies by the late weekend, but there’s uncertainty regarding the low's exact path.
Regardless, this pattern suggests ongoing chances for precipitation—showers at lower elevations and snow in higher terrains. The probability of exceeding half an inch of liquid precipitation is between 60%-90% in mountainous areas, with more than an inch at 30-60%.
High temperatures will generally vary between the 50s to mid-60s during this period, with lows expected in the upper 30s to 40s.
