BILLINGS — The highest chances for precipitation at lower elevations are expected to persist into the evening with the passage of a shortwave. Isolated weak thunderstorms are also likely throughout the night. Overall, the activity is expected to generally track from northwest to southeast.
After a break in the clouds from Wednesday morning and early afternoon, another round of scattered showers and isolated non-severe thunderstorms develops Wednesday afternoon and evening due to another approaching shortwave. Slightly warmer temperatures Wednesday means there could be a slight increase in showers. Precipitation totals will be mainly less than tenth of an inch.
Temperature-wise, conditions remain cooler than average, with lows ranging from the upper 30s to 40s, and highs on Wednesday in the mid-60s to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds will generally be light, although brief gusts may occur near any shower activity.
The hazy skies reported today can be attributed to Canadian wildfires located to the north, with the northwesterly flow causing lofted smoke to drift eastward, particularly affecting northeastern Montana. Fortunately, the risk of air quality issues from this smoke appears to be minimal.
Looking ahead from Thursday to Tuesday, a gradual increase in temperatures can be expected through the weekend. There remains a small to moderate chance of precipitation for Thursday, especially along the Montana-Wyoming border, though any expected accumulations are likely to be light.
A low-pressure system to the east, situated over North Dakota and Minnesota, may create breezy conditions in eastern Montana by Sunday afternoon, with gusts potentially reaching 30-40 mph. As ridging transitions eastward into Monday and Tuesday, temperatures will warm even more but increase the chance of rain and thunderstorms by Tuesday.
