BILLINGS — Colder air is pushing southward across eastern Montana Tuesday evening. But even with a 10 to 20 degree drop from Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon, temperatures will remain close to, or warmer than, early December averages.
Conditions will remain mainly dry, except for a few flurries across northeast Montana Wednesday night into Thursday morning. A chance of showers Sunday brings below average temperatures to early next week.
Tuesday afternoon, the Billings airport reported 62 degrees. The daily record for December 3 is 63 recorded in 1941, Livingston reached 58, topping the old December 3 record by one degree.
Wednesday will start off in mainly the 20s with highs in the 30s and 40s for most places. Billings should reach the low 40s, or about 20 degrees cooler than Tuesday.
Thursday will be cooler in the morning, with lows ranging from single digits near the Dakotas, to the low 20s in Billings, to close to 30 in Livingston. Highs will range from mid-30s to low 50s.
Friday and Saturday will be warmer, reaching well into the 50s or possibly a few low 60s Saturday. Then the cooler air arrives with areas of rain and snow showers Sunday.
The wind will blow in the Livingston / Nye / Big Timber area off and on over the period, but will be stronger over the weekend. It will be drier but cooler Monday and Tuesday with highs in the 30s.
