BILLINGS — High pressure will continue to strengthen over the area on Tuesday, keeping dry conditions in place. Southwest flow will warm daytime temperatures into the mid-to-upper 90s, with a few areas possibly cracking the 100-degree mark. Take the necessary precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses.
Wednesday is expected to be the hottest day of the week, with highs in the upper 90s to over 100 degrees, especially in Billings and areas to the east. A Heat Advisory will be in effect. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible in the evening ahead of a cold front.
That cold front is forecast to sweep through on Thursday, bringing a chance of showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening, then exiting by Friday morning. Cooler air behind the front will knock daytime highs down into the mid-80s for much of the area.
While lower elevations wait for the chance of rain, the Beartooths and Absarokas may actually get some snow from this system Thursday night through Friday morning. A blend of models (NBM) shows the possibility of a few inches at and above 10,000 feet, including over portions of the Beartooth Highway.
Friday will be even cooler, with highs mainly in the 70s, while the mountain foothills could dip into the 60s. Rain will move out and sunshine will return, making for a very pleasant day.
Temperatures will warm up again over the weekend, with highs pushing back into the 90s, as conditions remain dry.
There is uncertainty around temperatures and precipitation as we head into next week, as some models show a warm-up into the 80s and 90s, while others bring in a cold front with cooler, wetter conditions. We’ll have to see how the models evolve over the next few days to get a better handle on the forecast.
Miller Robson
Q2 Morning Meteorologist
miller.robson@ktvq.com
