BILLINGS — TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY: Temperatures climbed into the comfortable 70s Monday afternoon, though breezy northwest winds across eastern Montana with gusts reaching 20-40 mph. Tonight brings a slight chance of isolated showers, mainly affecting northeastern Montana after midnight as a weak weather system passes overhead.
Tuesday cranks up the heat as we climb into the 80s, with some spots flirting with 90 degrees. The day starts calm but winds will steadily increase, especially over the western foothills where afternoon gusts could reach 40-55 mph. While recent rains have helped green things up, some drier areas still pose elevated fire weather concerns, so avoid any activities that could create sparks.
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY: A stronger cold front Tuesday night, brings gusty northwest winds across the entire region through Wednesday, with widespread gusts of 25-40 mph expected. East of Billings and along the east side of the Bighorns should expect gusts reaching 40-50 mph.
Behind this front, shower and thunderstorm chances increase significantly for northern and eastern areas, with a 20%-50% chance of precipitation. Northeast Montana faces the highest storm potential, where increased instability could produce a few stronger thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a marginal risk for severe weather over northeast Montana extending into the Dakotas. Temperatures will drop dramatically, falling 10-20 degrees to 60s and 70s.
THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: Expect mostly quiet conditions with only isolated showers and thunderstorms possible, mainly along our outer edges with about a 20% chance. These will be weak systems that won't cause widespread impacts. Temperatures will hold steady in the pleasant 70s range for most areas.
WEEKEND OUTLOOK: The weekend brings a significant shift as southwest flow develops over the northern Rockies. This pattern change will increase our thunderstorm potential considerably, with daily storm chances as shortwaves lift into the region and moisture from the plains gets pulled into our area. While not a severe weather outbreak, this represents a notable increase in storm activity compared to the quieter midweek period. Temperatures will remain in the 70s.
