BILLINGS — In Billings on Friday afternoon, we have a mixed bag of tricks when it comes to the weather.
We have cloudy skies in the area, but the temperatures are soaring. In fact, it was already 47 degrees at 2 p.m. in Billings.
Around the rest of the state, the temps were mostly into the 40s and 50s, except for Glasgow and Glendive, where they were only into the 30s.
On the threat board, we have a Wind Advisory for the Beartooth foothills until noon Saturday. Winds there could be gusting up to 65 mph.
A little farther west in southwestern Montana, we have a High Wind Warning. The winds could be gusting to 60 mph until midnight.
Up in northwestern Montana, we have an Avalanche Warning and an Avalanche Watch over the weekend.
And on the Rocky mountain front, we have a High Wind Warning until midnight for winds gusting to 60 mph.
However, on the Doppler radar and satellite imagery, the snow that moved in Thursday has retreated back up in the Canada and just scattered rain showers are falling and Northwestern Montana.
The high-resolution forecast model shows that is virtually the story across the state for the entire weekend.
We might see a few scattered snow flurries in the Beartooth Mountains and also up in the northwest corner of the state, but everywhere else should be warm and dry.
Our temperatures are expected to remain into the 40s for the next 24 hours and then jump up to 53 degrees about 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
In fact, we will top out at 54 degrees for a high on Saturday and then a new upper level trough moves into the region next week, causing our temperatures roll back down to the 30s during the Christmas holiday.
BILLINGS FORECAST
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy, windy and mild. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Low 36 degrees.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny, windy and warmer. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph. High 54 degrees.
SUNDAY: Increasing clouds, not as windy but still warm. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph. High 51 degrees.
