BILLINGS — High pressure will keep cool to mild temperatures and dry conditions in place on Monday, although it will be cloudy. Highs will be mainly in the upper 40s to mid-50s.
Tuesday will be dry and warmer, with highs mainly in the mid-to-upper 70s. It will also be windy ahead of a cold front that is expected to move through Tuesday evening. Gusts over 50 mph to near 60 mph will be possible from Livingston to Big Timber to Harlowton, while gusts between 30–40 mph could affect much of the rest of the region. The combination of warm temperatures, gusty winds, and low humidity will bring an elevated grass fire concern to the foothills west of Billings.
The cold front is forecast to sweep through the area Tuesday evening, bringing a chance of light rain and snow Tuesday night into Wednesday. Some models are even suggesting that there could be just enough instability for a few rumbles of thunder Tuesday evening. Total moisture accumulations will range from a trace to around a tenth of an inch for those who do get rain. The mountains could pick up a few inches of snow, too. There is uncertainty about whether there will be a chance of more precipitation later in the week. Models are still not in agreement on that.
Daytime highs will cool down briefly into the mid-40s to mid-50s on Wednesday before gradually warming into the 70s on Saturday. It will cool down again on Sunday, with highs in the 50s and 60s.
Miller Robson
Q2 Morning Meteorologist
miller.robson@ktvq.com
