BILLINGS — Southwest flow will warm daytime highs into the upper 80s to mid 90s with some areas getting a few degrees hotter than that on Friday. A trough will help push moisture and instability into the area Friday afternoon into the evening, bringing a chance of showers and thunderstorms across the mountains first before moving into eastern-northeastern Montana by the evening. Some storms could turn strong or even severe, producing gusty winds in excess of 60 mph and possibly small hail and periods of heavy rain.
Smoke from the Wyoming wildfires will stream into parts of the area on Friday. This could impact air quality enough to irritate those with respiratory ailments or sensitivity to smoke.
Southwest flow will help bring hot, dry, and windy conditions on Saturday. A Fire Weather Watch will be in effect for much of the area. Don't do anything that could cause a spark. Highs will range from the upper 80s to upper 90s.
A cold front will push through Saturday night into Sunday morning, bringing a chance of showers and thunderstorms late Saturday through Monday. Cooler air will also stream into the area, knocking daytime highs down into the low 70s to low 80s Sunday and Monday.
It will be mostly dry and warmer on Tuesday with highs in the mid 80s to low 90s ahead of another cold front that will knock daytime temperatures down into the low 70s to around 80° on Wednesday then low to mid 70s on Thursday. Some areas may even dip down into the upper 60s.
The active pattern late Saturday through Monday could also bring a slight chance of mountain snow in the high elevations of the Beartooths and Absarokas down to around 10,000 feet.
-Miller Robson
Q2 Morning Meteorologist
miller.robson@ktvq.com
