BILLINGS — Monday brings mostly sunny skies, warmer but seasonal temperatures, and dry conditions. A low-pressure system rolling out of northern Montana into Canada will make for breezy to windy conditions, with west wind gusts hitting around 20 to 30 mph throughout the day.
A weak disturbance in the southwest flow brings clouds and scattered afternoon/evening storms to the western mountains and MT/WY border on Tuesday. Wednesday's cold front is bringing some atmospheric instability, but since we are missing those crucial low-level east winds and proper forcing mechanisms, don't expect any storms. It is shaping up to be nothing more than a dry, breezy shift in the weather. Western foothills near Billings will experience strong southwest winds of 35–50 mph on Wednesday and Thursday. Expect warmer daytime highs ranging from the mid-80s to lower 90s by midweek.
Looking ahead to Friday and the weekend, conditions will depend on how a low evolves out of the Pacific Northwest. Low-level winds pushing up from the southeast will draw in more moisture, while upper-level winds create energy to initiate active weather, so daily chances for showers and thunderstorms will continue, with a few storms potentially turning strong.
As the low tracks closer on Saturday and into Sunday, rain chances should climb and temperatures will start cooling down. There is much uncertainty on how this will play out at the moment, so keep checking the forecast as the week progresses, especially if you have outdoor plans for the weekend.
Miller Robson
Q2 Morning Meteorologist
miller.robson@ktvq.com
