BILLINGS — Scattered showers and thunderstorms have been firing Wednesday evening as a shortwave trough moves over the area. Expect strong wind gusts up to 60 mph, hail up to 1 inch, and heavy rain as primary threats.
Many locations may experience one to two rounds of precipitation as the trough approaches in two waves. Wednesday night through Thursday morning, the severe weather risk will diminish, but light to moderate rain and embedded thunderstorms will continue north and east of Billings.
Thursday will bring cooler temperatures with highs in the 60s and 70s as a shortwave trough shifts into northeastern Montana and North Dakota. Some isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon and evening, but severe thunderstorms are unlikely.
From Friday through Wednesday, an active weather pattern will persist with near-daily chances for showers and thunderstorms. On Friday, the Storm Prediction Center has a severe thunderstorm risk factor of 3 on a 1 to 5 scale for parts of the area, including Billings.
Moisture is streaming in from the Great Plains. With high temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, good instability and shear are present for storms to develop.
On Saturday, another round of severe storms are possible, but there are some indications the threat may move to the northwest and away from us.
