BILLINGS- Partly cloudy skies are greeting most of Billings Tuesday. We see a few showers out on the horizon, but so far nothing making its way to the Billings area.
In fact, the temperatures are very comfortable across much of eastern Montana, including Billings. The early afternoon temperature in Billings is 73 degrees, and we see a lot of 60s and 70s across the rest of the two-state area.
The thunderstorm outlook does show a threat of isolated showers and thunderstorms from Havre to just east of Billings and all the way to the state line with the Dakotas.
The marginal risk of severe storms is over in North and South Dakota.
Billings and the rest of eastern Montana is looking at a textbook version of what scattered showers and thunderstorms are all about.
That is what is showing up currently on the Doppler radar and satellite imagery.
In fact, most of eastern Montana is seeing widely scattered showers and thunderstorms all racing from northwest to southeast in line with the jet stream.
Our high-resolution forecast model is showing the same thing, widely scattered showers and thunderstorms.
So far we have seen nothing severe, but we might see a few periods of brief heavy rainfall and small hail Tuesday evening.
By Wednesday morning mostly dry conditions are expected across the state. Then we return to heavier showers and thunderstorms around the southwestern mountains on Wednesday evening.
We will continue to see a few widely scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the day Thursday, but most of that will be in western Montana stretching into the central part of the state, and not too close to Billings.
Our temperatures will probably stay to the 70s this afternoon and will back down to the 50s in the morning and get back to the 70s Wednesday afternoon. We could actually top out at 85 on Thursday and then drop back into the 70s over the weekend.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy and continued mild. North winds 5 to 10 mph in the evening shifting to the west overnight. Low 50 degrees.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and a little bit warmer. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph the morning shifting to the East in the afternoon. High 79 degrees.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny with a 20% chance for showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and warmer. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. High 85 degrees.
