890
FXUS65 KBYZ 280802
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
102 AM MST SUN DEC 28 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- WIND CHILL VALUES OF -20 TO -30 DEG THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTHERN
AND EASTERN AREAS. CONDITIONS IMPROVE BY MID DAY TODAY.
- MUCH WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS, WITH PERIODS OF GUSTY WINDS,
RETURN MONDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY...
MAIN IMPACTFUL WEATHER FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS IS THE CURRENT COLD AIR
INTRUSION/BITTER WIND CHILLS. CURRENT COLD WEATHER ADVISORY (UNTIL
11AM THIS MORNING) IS IN GOOD SHAPE EARLY THIS MORNING WITH WIND
CHILL VALUES IN THE -20 TO -30 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN
AND EASTERN TIER OF COUNTIES, COLDEST ALONG THE EASTERN STATE LINE
WHERE TEMPERATURES NEAR ZERO ARE COMBINING WITH NORTHWESTERLY
WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH. LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NORTHEAST
MONTANA IS KEEPING THE WINDS STIRRED UP THIS MORNING, BUT WILL SEE
WINDS DIMINISH LATER THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON AS THAT
FEATURE SHIFTS SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL DAKOTAS BY MID DAY.
OUTSIDE OF ISOLATED FLURRIES THIS MORNING, PRECIPITATION IS
GENERALLY OVER WITH THIS SYSTEM.
HIGHS TODAY WILL WARM TOWARD FREEZING IN THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS,
WHILE STAYING IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ALONG THE EASTERN STATE LINE.
PROBABILITIES FOR HIGHS ABOVE 25 DEGREES ARE IN THE 40 TO 60%
RANGE FOR AREAS WEST OF A ROUNDUP TO BILLINGS LINE THIS AFTERNOON.
MEANWHILE PROBABILITIES FOR SINGLE DIGIT HIGHS ARE 60-80% FOR
AREAS EAST OF A MILES CITY TO BROADUS LINE. THE REASONABLE HIGH
TEMPERATURE SPREAD FOR BILLINGS TODAY IS 24 TO 29 DEGREES.
AS THE COLD AIR EXITS TO THE EAST LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY WILL
SEE SOME GUSTY (20 TO 30 MPH) WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER
CENTRAL AREAS THAT COULD BRIEFLY LIFT SNOW AND BLOW/DRIFT IT
AROUND A BIT DURING THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE. THAT SAID SNOWPACK
IS MINIMAL SO NOT EXPECTING THE IMPACTS TO BE MORE THAN MINOR.
UPPER LEVEL PATTERN THIS WEEK IS GOING TO BE ONE OF A RIDGE IN
THE WEST AND A TROF IN THE EAST, PUTTING OUR AREA GENERALLY IN
BETWEEN. A FEW IMPULSES DROPPING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND
HEADING INTO THE EASTERN TROF WILL BRING A BIT OF COOLER AIR TO
EASTERN ZONES, AND MAYBE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR VERY LIGHT SNOW AT
TIMES (PARTICULARLY WEDNESDAY) FOR SE MONTANA. OTHERWISE
DOWNSLOPE WINDS AND RISING HEIGHTS ALOFT WILL WARM TEMPERATURES
WELL ABOVE NORMAL AND KEEP DRY CONDITIONS IN THE FORECAST FOR THE
WEEK AHEAD, WITH STRONG CONFIDENCE IN RIDGING OVER THE AREA.
WESTERN FOOTHILLS ZONES WILL BE BREEZY (GUSTS 30 TO 45MPH) THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD IN THIS PATTERN, BUT NOT SEEING MUCH IN THE
WAY OF STRONG WIND SIGNALS UNTIL MAYBE NEXT WEEKEND FOR THE
LIVINGSTON/NYE/BIG TIMBER AREAS.
NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION FOR MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA LOOKS
TO BE NEXT WEEKEND AS ANOTHER ATMOSPHERIC RIVER TAKES AIM ON THE
WESTERN U.S. CHAMBERS
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. BREEZY NW WINDS
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS EASTERN MT (KMLS, KBHK) AND THE WESTERN
FOOTHILLS (KLVM, K6S0) THROUGH THE NIGHT. BREEZY CONDITIONS
(20-35KTS) WILL DROP OFF FOR THE EAST BY MORNING. WINDS IN THE
WEST WILL TURN SOUTHWEST BY THE MORNING AND PICK UP AGAIN FOR THE
EVENING (25-35KTS). TS
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
TDY MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 027 016/039 028/045 032/051 031/050 033/052 028/044
0/U 00/U 00/B 00/B 00/B 01/B 12/S
LVM 028 017/040 026/045 029/051 031/051 033/049 026/044
0/U 00/U 00/B 00/B 00/B 02/O 22/S
HDN 020 009/038 021/045 024/050 023/047 026/049 024/044
0/U 00/U 00/B 00/B 00/B 01/B 22/O
MLS 011 004/035 021/041 024/043 019/040 023/044 021/036
0/B 00/U 00/B 00/B 00/B 01/E 11/B
4BQ 013 007/037 024/043 027/049 024/046 026/049 024/042
0/B 00/U 00/B 00/B 00/B 01/B 11/B
BHK 006 902/032 017/039 022/038 015/038 019/044 018/035
1/N 00/U 00/B 01/B 00/B 01/B 22/S
SHR 022 006/040 019/044 024/052 026/052 028/051 022/043
0/U 00/U 00/B 00/B 00/B 01/B 12/S
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING
FOR ZONES 31>33-37-63.
WY...NONE.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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