BILLINGS — Areas of fog are possible this morning, particularly in the foothills and river valleys, due to recent precipitation that has saturated the ground and raised relative humidity (RH) levels. Any fog that develops is expected to dissipate rapidly after sunrise as temperatures increase throughout the day.
Today and Thursday: With a ridge building over the region, temperatures will climb into the 70s today, and low 80s are forecast for Thursday. Some weak energy moving from central Idaho into southwestern Montana might trigger isolated showers, particularly near Livingston and in the western mountains.
A weak shortwave is expected to pass north of the area on Thursday, creating chances for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms later in the day and evening. While there could be some breezy winds and small hail with stronger storms, overall impacts are expected to be minimal.
Thursday Night through Next Week: Showers and weak thunderstorms may persist into Thursday night and Friday, especially over the mountains and foothills west and south of Billings. Outside of these chances, the region will experience warm, above-normal temperatures through at least Monday.
Highs in the lower elevations are expected to range from the 70s to lower 80s on Friday, possibly rising into the upper 80s by Monday, with some areas of eastern Montana including around Miles City edging toward 90 degrees.
Snowmelt will increase as temperatures rise into the 50s and 60s in higher elevations, leading to increased flow in local rivers and streams. If you recreate activities near waterways this weekend should remain cautious of the colder water temperatures and elevated flows.
Weekend and Early Next Week: Precipitation chances will increase starting Sunday as a large-scale trough moves into the Pacific Northwest. This could lead to the development of showers and thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon and evening.
As the trough progresses inland early next week, a developing upper low over the interior West may bring cooler and wetter conditions, though the timing, strength, and precipitation amounts from this system remain uncertain.
