BILLINGS — First comes the smoke, and then comes the wind. And that wind will add to the fire concerns across all of our area.
After a cooler afternoon Thursday with highs mainly in the 60's, the high pressure ridge across the western US. will start to rebound heading into Friday. That will shift the upper level winds from the south, drawing up more smoke from the Elk Fire in Sheridan County, Wyoming.
Expect some smoky haze, especially through Friday morning around Billings, and then shift towards the east as winds pick up down the east slopes of the Rockies. Gusts of 40 to over 60 miles an hour possible in the Livingston foothills by Friday afternoon and evening.
High temperatures on Friday will be mainly into the 80s, with a mix of smoky haze and just a few clouds. The winds will spread from the mountain foothills W to buildings into the eastern plains Friday night through Saturday.
As a disturbance moves across Canada, it will cool daytime highs mainly into the 60s to low 70s Saturday, but the combination of wind and low humidity will still increase our fire risk. Winds will also be a factor, gusting over 40 miles an hour at times over a widespread area.
The weather pattern becomes much more settled starting on Sunday as highs will climb back to the 70s and 80s and stay there well into next week. A dry weather pattern will continue.
