BILLINGS — Sunday night through Monday, South-Central Montana and Northern Wyoming face a one-two punch from Mother Nature. A Wyoming low pressure system is currently tracking northeast, setting up the first wave of impacts across southeast Montana.
Behind it, a cold front is preparing to sweep across the western part of the state Monday morning.
The Wind Story: The strongest winds are targeting areas west of Billings, particularly the foothills where gusts could reach 50 mph.
The Precipitation Story: Two distinct precipitation events are unfolding. Tonight into Monday morning, southeast Montana from Fort Smith to Miles City face 30% to 60% chances for precipitation exceeding a quarter inch.
Monday morning brings the second wave as the cold front arrives in western Montana with additional precipitation chances of 20% to 50% percent across the region. Billings is on the low end of that scale.
The Snow Story: Winter is making its presence known in the mountains. The Absaroka and Beartooth ranges face the biggest impact with 20-40 percent chances for 6+ inches of snow, while the Bighorns have 10-20 percent chances for similar accumulations. Lower elevations may see light snow accumulations, particularly in the foothills and higher plains areas.
The Temperature Story: Monday and Tuesday high temperatures will climb into the 40s to near 50 before a warming trend takes hold. By Wednesday, ridging pushes temperatures into the 50s to near 60. After a brief cool-down Thursday, the weekend looks pleasant with temperatures reaching the 60s by Saturday.
Looking Ahead: Dry conditions and near to slightly above normal temperatures return Tuesday and persist through the weekend, offering a break from the active weather pattern.
