BILLINGS — It is another hazy, lazy day of summer in Billings Wednesday. The haze is courtesy of wildfires in western Montana and stagnant air in Billings.
The temperature in Billings at 1:30 p.m. was 80 degrees. We are expecting to get into the low to mid-80s before the day is over.
Around the rest of the state, temps are mostly in the 70s across the Hi-Line with 70s and 80s from western Montana down to the south-central part of the state.
The thunderstorm outlook for Wednesday shows isolated thundershowers possible along the Rocky Mountain front back down toward south-central Montana and into the southeast, as well as up in the northeast by Glasgow.
The Doppler radar and satellite imagery shows we continue to be in a northwesterly flow of air. That has a tendency for all the showers in the west track more toward Sheridan than Billings.
The high-resolution forecast shows cool temperatures moving across eastern Montana today, but very few showers.
Most of those are staying on the state line with Wyoming.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, warmer air starts moving in from the southwest and will eventually pull a little bit of moisture into the Billings area by later that evening.
The showers will cool off the warmer air that moved into Billings earlier in the day. Eventually those showers will hang around most of the night and into Friday morning.
Our temperatures will remain rather cool over the next 24 hours. Then jump up to 93 degrees for high on Thursday and eventually cool back down to the low 80s by early next week.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy and continued mild. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Low 62 degrees.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny with a 20% chance for showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. West winds 5 to 10 mph the morning shifting to the south in the afternoon. High 93 degrees.
FRIDAY: Partly sunny with a 30% chance for showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. West winds 5 to 10 mph. High 90 degrees.
