BILLINGS — Cool and unsettled weather starts the weekend, and warm and windy weather will end it. Then another similar cycle will follow.
Thursday night through Friday, up to 12 inches of mountain snow is expected in the Beartooth range with up to 6 inches in the Red Lodge foothills in Paradise Valley. We're also on track for 4 to 8 inches of new snow in the Pryor Mountains and Bighorn Mountains of northern Wyoming.
Most showers will wind down by early Friday, but another wave could bring a few afternoon sprinkles or showers even across the plains. Low temperatures drop to the 20s for most places overnight with high temperatures in the 40s to low 50s on Friday.
A few showers scattered around are possible Saturday, but the big weather story is warming temperatures. Highs will hit mainly the 50s Saturday and warm 10 degrees to the 60s to around 70 on Sunday.
Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph will increase the wildfire risk Sunday when combined with warm and dry conditions. Monday will trend cooler with more wind gusts and scattered showers.
Billings forecast:
Thursday night… Increasing clouds with a chance of evening rain or rain/snow overnight a low near 30.
Friday… Cloudy to mostly cloudy with mainly morning showers possible. A high of about 50.
Saturday and Sunday… Partly cloudy Saturday with a high near 60. Partly cloudy Sunday but windy with a high near 70.
