BILLINGS — We have just a few clouds, but the temperatures really are not too uncomfortable here in the Billings area early Thursday afternoon. Right now, it's 73 degrees and the wind is calm.
Around the rest of the state, our temps were mostly into the 60s in the west and 70s in the east, with a few 60s and 70s mixed together in eastern Montana. The hotspot was 81 degrees in Worland, Wyoming.
The thunderstorm outlook for Thursday shows isolated thundershowers across most of Montana, but we do see a marginal to increased risk of severe storms in the southeast corner of Montana and northeastern Wyoming.
On Friday, the marginal risk of severe storms will be in the western part of the state, but some may reach as far east as Billings.
Now for the good news. The flood warning for the Yellowstone River at Livingston and Billings has been canceled. The river levels have gone down far enough, but they still remain for the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone at Edgar and Belfry.
At both Edgar and Belfry, the observed stages dropped below flood stage but are forecast to go back above flood stage this weekend as heavier showers move into the area.
It seems like the rivers can handle either heavy snow melt or heavy showers, but they can't handle both at the same time.
The Doppler radar and satellite imagery shows most of the bigger storms have already moved in and out of Eastern Montana, but we do see a few scattered showers and thunderstorms over the Beartooth Mountains.
Those should follow the jet stream right along the state line with Wyoming and zip in and zip out in a hurry.
The high-resolution forecast model reiterates that. Most of the showers are forecast to track along the state line with Wyoming heading into the Dakotas throughout Thursday.
On Friday, the flow seems to be coming directly from the south, but it looks like there won't be any moisture caught up in that flow until Saturday afternoon or evening.
Our temperatures will continue to stay into the 70s Thursday, then back down to the 50s in the morning and back to the 70s Friday afternoon.
We will top out in the 80s on Friday and Saturday and then roll back down into the 50s 60s and 70s next week.
BILLINGS FORECAST
Tonight: Partly cloudy with a 20% chance for showers and early evening thunderstorms. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Low 52 degrees.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and warmer. East winds 5 to 15 mph. High 84 degrees.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with a 30% chance for showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. South winds 5 to 15 mph. High 86 degrees.
