777  
FXUS65 KBYZ 022011  
AFDBYZ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT  
211 PM MDT WED JUL 2 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- WARM THURSDAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE HIGH 80S TO MID 90S.  
 
- SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY. THERE IS A RISK  
LEVEL 1 OF 5 FOR SEVERE STORMS NEAR THE DAKOTAS BORDER.  
 
- NEAR-NORMAL TEMPERATURES RETURN FRIDAY WITH A DAILY CHANCE OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...  
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DECREASE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT COMING  
TO AN END AROUND 06Z. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE  
STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL RANGE  
FROM THE MID 50S F IN THE WEST TO MID 60S F IN THE EAST.  
 
500 MB TROUGHING OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN US WILL CREATE MONSOONAL  
CONDITIONS OVER THE SHORT TERM. THERMAL LOW PRESSURE OVER THE  
WESTERN US WILL CREATE SOUTHERLY WINDS OVER THE PLAINS BRINGING  
WIDESPREAD PWAT VALUES OVER 1 INCH. SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT 0-3 KM  
LAPSE RATES WILL BE NEAR 10 C/KM. THIS EFFICIENT SURFACE HEATING  
AND AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE MOVING THROUGH SOUTHEAST MONTANA WILL  
COMBINE TO CREATE FORCING FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
THE MONSOONAL NATURE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WITH INVERTED V  
SOUNDINGS, HIGH LCLS, AND DCAPE VALUES AROUND 1,500 J/KG WILL LEAD  
TO PULSE CONVECTION WITH A FEW EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS  
THURSDAY EVENING. THE GREATEST RISK FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL  
BE LOCATIONS ALONG THE DAKOTAS BORDER WHERE THE STORM PREDICTION  
CENTER HAS ISSUED A RISK LEVEL 1 OF 5 FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  
THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE STRONG WINDS  
IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND HEAVY RAINFALL.  
 
TEMPEATURES DECREASE FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST MONTANA THURSDAY AS A  
WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. LOCATIONS WEST OF BILLINGS WILL SEE  
TEMPERATURES IN THE HIGH 80S F WITH LOW TO MID 90S F TO THE EAST.  
PROBABILITIES FOR A HIGH TEMPERATURE OVER 100 F WILL BE LIMITED TO  
LOCATIONS NEAR MILES CITY ALONG THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER WHERE  
CHANCES TOP OUT AROUND 50%. TORGERSON  
 
FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...  
 
ACTIVE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A SHORTWAVE  
TROUGH IS DEPICTED BY MODELS MOVING THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY INTO  
SATURDAY. ALONG WITH THIS SHORTWAVE, MOISTURE WILL INCREASE  
THROUGHOUT ALL LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE, BRINGING PWATS OF  
0.8-1.5" (HIGHEST VALUES IN CENTRAL-EASTERN AREAS). WITH THIS  
MUCH MOISTURE AVAILABLE, THE CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL  
INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. BASED ON CURRENT MODEL GUIDANCE, STRONG  
STORMS DO NOT LOOK TO BE WIDESPREAD, WITH ONLY 250-700 J/KG) OF  
MUCAPE. MOST OF THIS CAPE LOOKS TO BE CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS.  
THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS MODERATE TO HIGH  
(GREATER THAN 50%) ON FRIDAY WITH THE BEST CHANCE IN THE MOUNTAINS  
AND FOOTHILLS.  
 
THE CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL LINGER THROUGH SATURDAY WITH A  
LOW TO MODERATE CHANCE (25-70%) OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  
THERE IS UNCERTAINTY ON THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG STORMS ON  
SATURDAY, WITH THE LATEST ECMWF DEPICTING MUCAPE VALUES OF  
1000-2000 J/KG BUT THE GFS SHOWING 300-800 J/KG. THIS WILL BE  
WORTH MONITORING FOR ANYONE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS.  
 
LATE SATURDAY INTO NEXT WEEK, ENSEMBLES DEPICT THE MORE ZONAL,  
WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. THIS MAY CUT OFF MOISTURE AVAILABILITY AND  
LEAD TO DRIER CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL A BIT FRIDAY AND  
SATURDAY, WITH HIGHS BACK AROUND NORMALS IN THE 70S AND LOW 80S.  
DESPITE MORE ZONAL FLOW BUILDING INTO THE NEW WEEK, ENSEMBLES  
CURRENTLY AGREE THAT HIGHS WILL CLIMB BACK INTO THE MID 80S AND  
90S.  
 
MATOS  
 
   
AVIATION  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME TO AN END AROUND  
06Z TONIGHT AND ENTER THE REGION AGAIN AROUND 18Z THURSDAY. THESE  
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING LOCALIZED MVFR CONDITIONS AND MOUNTAIN  
OBSCURATIONS. TORGERSON  
 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS  
 
THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
BIL 064/091 064/086 059/080 054/080 057/088 060/090 061/093  
22/T 44/T 55/T 21/U 11/U 10/U 11/U  
LVM 056/087 053/081 050/076 046/080 050/087 052/089 054/091  
25/T 48/T 76/T 21/U 11/U 10/U 11/U  
HDN 063/092 062/088 058/082 052/081 055/090 058/091 058/093  
21/B 53/T 55/T 21/U 21/U 10/U 11/U  
MLS 067/095 067/088 062/082 056/080 058/089 061/089 061/093  
21/B 32/T 55/T 41/B 21/U 21/U 10/U  
4BQ 067/092 066/084 061/083 056/080 058/087 061/089 061/090  
21/B 52/T 43/T 31/U 21/U 20/U 11/U  
BHK 065/094 064/086 058/081 052/077 054/083 056/085 057/087  
21/B 43/T 45/T 51/B 22/T 21/U 11/U  
SHR 059/087 059/084 053/082 049/078 051/088 055/087 055/090  
23/T 55/T 44/T 21/U 11/U 11/U 11/U  
 
 
   
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MT...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR ZONES  
30>32-173.  
WY...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
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