BILLINGS — We'll be waking up to widespread rain and patchy dense across the region, along with mountain/foothill snow, on Thursday morning as ample moisture streams in behind a cold front that will also briefly cool temperatures down. The precipitation will taper off from west to east during the day as the system moves away.
The chance of at least a half inch of rain is very good in upslope areas, but areas west of Rosebud County, including Billings, also have the potential for over half an inch as well. Locations north and east of I-90 will see less precipitation, in the neighborhood of between a trace to up to a quarter of an inch. Mountain areas could pick up over one inch of total moisture.
Snow levels will drop to around 6,500 feet on Thursday, with north-facing slopes in the higher elevations of the Beartooths (Winter Storm Warning) possibly picking up 8-15 inches, while the Big Horns/Pryors (Winter Weather Advisory) could get 5-10 inches through Thursday evening. The heavy snow could impact the opening of the Beartooth Highway on Friday. Be sure to check the latest info if you plan to head that way for Memorial Day weekend.
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There should be just enough instability for weak thunderstorms to develop Thursday afternoon into the evening west, south, and east of Yellowstone County. Erratic gusty winds, hail, and brief downpours will be possible with any storms that do pop up.
After a cooler Thursday, the region will warm up and stay mostly dry Friday through the holiday weekend, although a few weak disturbances may bring a few daily isolated showers. Models are hinting that another Pacific trough will begin to move inland during the first half of next week, potentially bringing more precipitation to our western counties by late Monday or early Tuesday, along with a cooldown as the week progresses. There is still much disagreement with this at the moment, though.
Daytime highs will be in the 40s and 50s Thursday before gradually warming up, with highs mainly in the 60s Friday, 70s Saturday, and 80s Sunday and Monday. Some locations may even crack 90 degrees on Memorial Day.
Miller Robson
Q2 Morning Meteorologist
miller.robson@ktvq.com
