BILLINGS — TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: It feels more like early summer than late winter across the area. Widespread highs will climb into the 60s today and tomorrow, and a few of the usual warm spots could flirt with 70°F on Wednesday. Skies will remain mostly clear through the afternoon, though high clouds begin to filter in as the day wears on — the first subtle hint that a change is coming. Enjoy it. This is the calm before a very busy stretch.
LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING: Before a cold front gets here, the wind arrives. Southwest gap winds will crank up late tonight and continue into Wednesday morning, with gusts of 40 to 55 mph expected at Livingston and Nye. Drivers on I-90 should expect gusty crosswinds and high-profile vehicles in particular should use caution.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Widespread highs will climb into the 60s and a few of the usual warm spots could flirt with 70° on Wednesday. Skies will remain mostly clear through the afternoon, though high clouds begin to filter in as the day wears on.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY: A Pacific trough swings through Wednesday night, and with it comes a cold front. Temperatures cool off noticeably but not dramatically cold. Rain showers will spread across lower elevations, generally bringing a quarter inch or less. The foothills, including Red Lodge and Story, Wyoming, can expect 1 to 4 inches of wet, heavy snow, with a 30% chance that totals exceed 4 inches if the system becomes better organized.
The mountains take the brunt. The Beartooth-Absarokas have a 75% probability of at least 8 inches of snowfall from Wednesday evening into early Friday, heaviest on northwest and north-facing aspects. Travel on US-14 through the Bighorns will also be impacted by several inches of snow.
For Billings, wet snow could fall briefly Thursday night into early Friday morning, but surface temperatures should stay warm enough to prevent accumulation outside some grassy areas and the hills south of town. The system exits by late Friday, but there's still some uncertainty in the details, so stay tuned for updates as the week progresses.
THE WEEKEND: The cold front barely clears the area before a building ridge rapidly replaces it, sending temperatures back to the low-to-mid 60s by the weekend. But this warm-up comes with a serious wind threat. Strong foothills winds are expected Saturday and Sunday, with gusts of 60+ mph possible at Livingston, Big Timber, and Harlowton.
Elevated southwest-to-west winds will also push east of the foothills, with gusts potentially reaching 50 mph in Roundup and Billings. The peak wind potential is Sunday into early Monday ahead of the next frontal system. If you have outdoor plans this weekend, factor in significant wind.
EARLY NEXT WEEK: The northern Rockies ridge breaks down early next week, and that leads and unsettled weather by Monday or Tuesday. Temperatures cool off, precipitation chances increase, and if enough cold Canadian air gets pulled into the pattern, lower elevation snow is possible. There's still a lot of uncertainty in the timing and intensity, but the trend is clearly toward a more active and wintry pattern. Stay close to the forecast as next week approaches.
