BILLINGS — MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY: A quick-moving system is exiting through Wyoming and Colorado, dropping a bit of light snow over the mountains along the Montana-Wyoming border. Once that clears, the door opens for an impressive stretch of warm, calm weather.
By Tuesday, high pressure builds back in and temperatures surge. Most valley locations will climb near or above 60°F, and spots in south-central Montana including Roundup, Hardin, and Billings West End could flirt with 70°. The thing to watch is how dry it is. Westerly flow aloft will pull relative humidity values down into the teens across much of the region.
Winds at the surface stay light for now, which limits fire weather concerns, but the dryness is worth noting if you're spending time outdoors.
TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY: A tightening pressure gradient overnight Tuesday should be enough to kick off gap wind activity in the western foothills around Livingston and Nye. Models suggest gusts over 40s mph are likely, and there's roughly a 50% chance we see gusts push into the 50s and even 60s mph by Wednesday morning. If you are traveling that stretch of I-90 Tuesday night or early Wednesday, plan accordingly.
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: As a trough digs into the intermountain west, both the GFS and the European are coming into better agreement that a two-day precipitation event that spans Thursday and Friday. The bulk of the action falling Thursday.
Temperatures dip slightly, and moisture sweeps into the region. For most areas below about 5,500 feet, expect rain. The mountains, however, could pick up 5 to 8 inches of snow. The western foothills could see around a half-inch of rain with some snow showers mixed in at higher elevations.
Precipitation chances range from 30 to 70 percent depending on location, so not everyone sees the same impact. Still, after the stretch of warm and dry we just had, this system delivers a meaningful change.
NEXT WEEKEND: The weather doesn't settle down much heading into next weekend. More widespread windy conditions appear likely to return, and additional chances of precipitation with fluctuating temperatures. Details remain uncertain this far out, so the forecast will evolve. Keep checking back as we get closer.
