BILLINGS — TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY: After a cooler Sunday, expect highs to climb back into the 60s on Monday, then reach the 60s to lower 70s by Tuesday as a warm upper-level ridge rebuilds overhead. The western foothills will see periodic gusts during peak afternoon mixing hours, as they typically do this time of year.
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY: Light rain showers brought on by the warmer air are possible briefly over the northern part of the area late Tuesday and Tuesday night. Then Wednesday arrives with a frontal passage that brings deep atmospheric mixing and a cold front, fueling fairly significant wind across the western foothills. Livingston, Big Timber, and Harlowton have a high likelihood of gusts reaching 50 mph, with a 30% chance gusts could hit 60 mph or higher.
Billings and areas east of the foothills should expect gusts near 40 mph. Temperatures Wednesday will range through the upper 60s and 70s, though the exact timing of the frontal passage could nudge those numbers one way or the other.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY: The front's arrival late Wednesday brings scattered light rain and snow showers through Thursday. A secondary wave on the backside of the main trough could keep a few light snow showers going Thursday night and possibly into early Friday.
Precipitation amounts don't look impressive and the chance of snow in the lower elevations is possible but low. The bigger story is the temperature drop. Highs Thursday will fall back to the 40s and lower 50s, with mainly 50s expected on Friday.
NEXT WEEKEND: Another ridge will build heading into the weekend, and with it comes another round of warmth and sunshine. Highs should return to the 60s by Saturday and could flirt with 70 on Sunday.
The warm winter and early spring pattern continues to dominate, keeping cold air locked away in Alaska and northwest Canada. If any hope for a truly cooler, more unsettled stretch exists, it likely won't arrive until early April at the earliest.
