BILLINGS — Dry and warm conditions start Friday with afternoon temperatures moving about 10° above seasonal averages. Things remain steady through the weekend and will be even warmer by Monday and Tuesday.
Temperatures early Friday will be mainly in the 20s across southern Montana and northern Wyoming. By the afternoon they'll have risen to mainly the 50s, and even some low 60s are possible.
Mid to upper 40s are average for mid-March. The dry and warm conditions, with gusts to around 25 miles an hour, will be favorable for grassland fires Friday afternoon and evening.
With the combination of the warming temperatures and windy conditions in eastern Montana, grassland fire potential will increase. Use care with sparks or flame.
Through the weekend, highs will stay mainly in the 50s and the lows mainly in the mid-20s to mid-30s. Conditions will remain dry through the period for the lower elevations.
The high-pressure Ridge amplifies on Monday and Tuesday with readings hitting the 60s. Even a few low 70s are possible, including around Billings. 71 at the Billings Airport on Monday would tie the record for March 18.
Conditions look to stay mild and dry through at least the middle of next week. But there are early signals that we could see a change in the conditions with cooler and wetter weather moving in.
