BILLINGS — March is certainly coming in like a lion Monday with all the strong gusty winds in the Billings area. At 2 p.m. Monday, we did have winds gusting to 44 mph and a temperature of 48 degrees.
The highest wind gusts range anywhere from 21 mph at Helena up to 49 mph at Cut Bank. In Billings and Lewistown, the winds were gusting between 44 and 48 mph.
We have a High Wind Advisory until 11 p.m. Monday night for the Beartooth foothills for winds gusting to 60 mph. The high winds and warmer temperatures have caused a little snow melt in McCone County, so we have a flood advisory there.
Plus, we have a Flood Advisory on Beaver Creek south of Saco all the way to Hinsdale. Plus, much of northeastern Montana is in a High Wind Watch from Tuesday morning until Tuesday evening for 60 mile-per-hour winds.
And now, all the high winds over the grassy areas are drying everything out. We have a Red Flag Warning until 6 p.m. Tuesday for areas around Glasgow and the Missouri River.
Plus, on the eastern slopes of the Divide, we have high wind warnings from 60 to 70 mph across much of the region Monday.
The jet streams have been the biggest wind makers, mixing down to the surface and causing all the strong gusty winds.
At the same time, we also see several minor weather disturbances of rain and snow developing just east of Billings and heading in toward the southeast corner of the state.
We also see a little snow around Missoula and Great Falls up in the higher elevations.
The wind will continue across much of the region Monday night as high pressure to the southwest starts pushing it into the state, while low pressure up in southern Canada takes it all out.
The high and low are working together along with the jet stream, causing strong gusty winds.
The high-resolution forecast model does show scattered snow showers streaming in from northwestern Montana, but they seem to be going all around the Billings area.
Then on Wednesday afternoon, a new cold front pushes through into south-central Montana and could bring scattered rain showers in the Billings area.
Our temps will continue to cool back down to the 30s Monday morning and jump back up into the low 50s again Tuesday. We will top out at 56 on Tuesday and Wednesday and get up to 60s, on Friday and Saturday. Then drop down to 42 degrees on Sunday.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Increasing clouds, windy and not as cold. West winds 15 to 25 mph. Low 34 degrees.
TUESDAY: Sunny, windy. West winds 15 to 30 mph gusting to 45 mph. High 56 degrees.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny, and windy in the afternoon. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph the morning increasing to 15 to 30 mph gusting to 45 mph by the afternoon. High 56 degrees.
