BILLINGS — Brace for a significant change as we transition from dry conditions to a more active and unstable atmosphere over the coming days. Here's a breakdown of what to expect:
Expect highs between the mid 80s to low 90s Tuesday, 10 to 15 degrees above average. Locations along river valleys east of Billings have the best odds to reach over 90 degrees.
Starting Tuesday afternoon, easterly winds will bring moisture into the region. Moisture in the atmosphere will be well above average. With decent instability, thunderstorms will develop from Billings towards the western mountains.
With moisture just starting to arrive, strong wind gusts upwards of 60 mph could be the primary threat from storms Tuesday. Smoke from Canadian fires will be pushed eastward, leading to lower air quality closer to the Dakotas. The worst concentrations are expected to remain well north of the Billings area.
There will be at least a daily chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoons and evenings. On Wednesday, there will be a marginal risk for strong to severe thunderstorms.
With good moisture levels, humidity, and daytime heating. Threats could include wind gusts, quarter-sized hail, and heavy rainfall. High temperatures will generally be in the 70s to 80s from Wednesday through the weekend, with a cooler day on Thursday (60s to 70s F) due to a shortwave trough.
Warm temperatures over the weekend will enhance severe weather risks. Storms will be scattered to isolated, but could produce wind, hail, and pockets of heavy rain.
Increased temperatures will boost mountain snow melting, resulting in higher streams, creeks and rivers. While these are expected to peak below last week's levels, use caution near waterways, as conditions could still be hazardous.
