BILLINGS — High pressure will bring dry conditions across the region on Wednesday as warmer-than-average daytime highs push into the 60s through Thursday for much of the area. Some towns will flirt with 70°. The warmer temperatures could lead to just enough instability that a few rumbles of thunder could rattle the sky on Thursday as a split trough approaches.
Much of the energy from the trough will stay to our south. Still, anywhere from 4-8" of snow could fall in the mountains Thursday through Saturday. Adjacent foothills could pick up 1-2". Lower elevations will get rain first on Thursday than could transition to snow Thursday night into Friday morning. Little to no accumulation (on gassy areas) is expected for most of the area, but Red Lodge and Cody, WY could pick up a few inches.
Drier conditions move in Friday afternoon as it turn colder, but a few periodic rain showers could pop up through Sunday and the mountains could get light snow. Another disturbance is forecast to move in by Monday night, bringing a chance of more rain and snow through mid-week.
Winds could gust between 30-40 mph (maybe stronger) periodically across the western foothills over the next several days.
Daytime highs will be in the 30s and 40s on Friday and Saturday, 40s and 50s on Sunday and Monday then 30s and 40s on Tuesday and Wednesday. Nighttime lows will be in the 20s and 30s Thursday night, cool to the teens and 20s Friday night and Saturday night then rebound to the 20s and 30s on Sunday night.
Miller Robson
Q2 Morning Meteorologist
miller.robson@ktvq.com
