BILLINGS — A weather system is moving through our area from later Tuesday through Thursday. That will lead to precipitation amounts that could range from 0.40 inches east of Billing to as high as 2 to 2.5 inches in the Absaroka/Beartooth mountains.
This will come in the form of rain, mountain snow, and isolated thunderstorms with a slight potential for severe weather are anticipated through Thursday. Highs Tuesday will range from the 50s to the west, 60s near Billings to 70s in eastern Montana.
Winter Storm Warnings are in effect starting at noon Tuesday Absaroka/Beartooth range with an expected 1-2 feet of snow and the for the Crazy Mountains, 10-18 inches. A Winter Weather Advisory kicks in for the Pryor and northern Bighorn mountains Tuesday night with 8 to 14 inches of snow expected.
River levels are high due to snowmelt with the recent warm temperatures. With additional rain, the waterways will maintain these elevated levels, but no major flooding is expected.
We will see a lull in precipitation Thursday despite a weak disturbance that may bring scattered showers to the mountains. For Friday and Saturday, more weak disturbances will bring light rain showers, with the highest chances again in the mountains, particularly on Friday.
A low is expected to move from the Pacific Northwest to the central Rockies this weekend, but with no clear outcomes in terms of intensity and track. Expect each day from Friday through early next week to have at least some chance of rain and mountain snow with temperatures at or cooler than seasonal averages.
That means highs in the 50s to mid-60s and lows mainly in the 40s for the lower elevations. Beyond that, any forecast details are subject to change for early next week.
