BILLINGS — It has turned out to be a Chamber of Commerce Wednesday in Billings. We have mostly sunny skies and snowcapped mountains for a backdrop and temperatures in the 60s, looking for the 70s.
Around the rest of the state, the temps are already into the 50s and 60s, and some folks are getting even close to 70s.
We do have a high wind warning for south-central Montana and north-central Wyoming. It begins at 6 p.m and goes until noon Thursday for winds gusting 60 mph.
This will be a new cold front and strong low pressure cell moving into the region.
The two will be working together to create some heavy snow in the mountains and high winds on the plains with some significant rainfall in the lower elevations.
On Wednesda afternoon, most of the winds were downsloping off the Beartooth Mountains and that's inhibiting rainfall development for the Billings area.
The system is moving into western Montana, where it's producing heavy rain and snow fall.
We think by 7 p.m. Wednesday it will push its way to Yellowstone Park, and that's when it starts producing snow in the Beartooths and rain from Billings to Havre.
Eventually that low will track over Sheridan and start to drop farther south in Wyoming. Once that happens, any rain that's up across the Hi-Line will be drawn into the low through Billings and give us another shot at some rain showers.
By Friday, another low-pressure cell will drop down into the Hi-Line from Alberta, Canada and start producing rain showers there and across the state on Saturday.
We will top out at 72 at 3 p.m. then roll back down to the 40s and possibly even 30s in the morning and back up to 49 degrees again at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
We will only get to 53 on Thursday, back up to 63 on Friday, then back into the 50s over the weekend, and then up to the 60s by Tuesday.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a 30% chance for rain showers and windy. Northwest winds 15 to 30 mph gusting to 50 mph. Low 41 degrees.
THURSDAY: Partly sunny with a 60% chance of rain showers in the morning. Then rain likely in the afternoon and cooler. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph. High 53 degrees.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. West winds 5 to 10 mph high 63 degrees.
