633
FXUS65 KBYZ 181450
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
850 AM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SNOW/RAIN SHOWERS OVER EASTERN MONTANA
TODAY.
- WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS SUNDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. HIGHS IN THE 80S
TO NEAR 90F BY TUESDAY.
- WEATHER SYSTEM BRINGS COOLER AND POTENTIALLY WETTER CONDITIONS
TO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK.
UPDATE
SEASONAL TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S AND 60S (F) ARE EXPECTED TODAY
UNDER PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. WITH THIS, BREEZY
CONDITIONS WILL EXIST WITH GUSTS IN THE TEENS TO 20S MPH, WITH A
FEW GUSTS INTO THE 30S MPH AROUND THE WIND PRONE FOOTHILLS AND
OVER FAR EASTERN MONTANA. A SUBTLE SHORTWAVE IN THE LINGERING
CYCLONIC FLOW OVER EASTERN MONTANA WILL ALSO ALLOW OCCASIONAL
ISOLATED SNOW/RAIN SHOWERS TO DEVELOP TODAY, GENERALLY NEAR AND
EAST OF ROSEBUD COUNTY. RAIN/SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WITH THIS ACTIVITY
LOOK TO REMAIN LITTLE TO NONE. CONDITIONS THEN TREND WARMER AND
DRIER SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE
NUDGES INTO THE REGION. ARENDS
DISCUSSION
THROUGH FRIDAY...
AS YESTERDAY'S VORT MAX EXISTS TO OUR EAST A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE
WILL BUILD INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. EVEN THROUGH THE MAIN
ENERGY HAS EXISTED INTO THE GREAT PLAINS, A LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW
REMAINS DOMINANT CENTERED OVER MB/WESTERN ONTARIO. AS THIS FEATURE
LAGS IN ITS EASTWARD PROGRESSION, ONE MORE LOCALIZED VORT MAX MAY
PIVOT AROUND THROUGH FAR NE MT AND WESTERN ND. THIS COULD GIVE
SOME SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS TO AREAS NEAR BAKER THIS AFTERNOON
WITH ALL ACCUMULATIONS REMAINING VERY LIGHT. ALL OTHER LOCATIONS
WILL SEE MOSTLY SUNNY CONDITIONS TODAY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE
ISOLATED SNOW SHOWER IN THE MOUNTAINS. ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WEAK
FEATURE, 850MB WINDS ARE FORECAST TO BE AROUND 30KTS, AND 700MB
WINDS IN THE LOW 40S KT, OVER EASTERN MT. WITH A WELL MIXED
ATMOSPHERE DURING THE DAY TODAY, BREEZY CONDITIONS OVER THE
EASTERN 1/2 OF THE CWA CAN BE EXPECTED. WIND GUSTS SHOULD REMAIN
UNDER 40 MPH.
AS THIS DOMINAT RIDGE CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS INFLUENCE THROUGH
THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK, TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE
TO RISE EACH DAY. WITH NEAR AVERAGE HIGHS FORECAST TODAY, THE
FORECAST HIGHS GRADUALLY INCREASE EACH DAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE
IS A 90% CHANCE THAT HIGH TEMPERATURES EXCEED 80 F FOR BILLINGS,
MILES CITY, AND SHERIDAN ON TUESDAY. ALONG WITH THESE HIGH
TEMPERATURES, ALSO EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS WITH WIDESPREAD MIN RH
VALUES BELOW 20% FOR THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE END OF NEXT WEEK THERE IS SLOWLY GROWING
CONFIDENCE IN AN IMPACTFUL WEATHER SYSTEM FOR WESTERN N. AMERICA.
ALL CLUSTERS ARE NOW AGREEING ON SOME SORT OF UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
MOVING THROUGH THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. DETAILS REMAIN UNCERTAIN AT
THIS TIME HOWEVER IT DOES APPEAR THAT THIS COULD BE A GOOD
PRECIPITATION EVENT FOR OUR AREA. THERE IS ROUGHLY A 50% CHANCE
THAT BILLINGS AND SHERIDAN COULD SEE 0.5" OF QPF WITH THIS EVENT.
AS WITH ALL LONG RANGE FORECASTS, DETAILS WILL CHANGE AND BECOME
MORE CLEAR AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE EVENT. WMR
AVIATION
ISOLATED SHOWERS EAST OF KBIL WILL DISSIPATE THIS AFTERNOON.
BREEZY CONDITIONS DEVELOP AFTER 16Z WITH W/NW GUSTS 25-30 KTS
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. ARCHER
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
TDY SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 060 032/072 043/080 046/088 053/077 041/051 029/050
0/U 00/U 00/B 00/U 13/W 78/W 43/W
LVM 057 030/067 038/077 043/081 047/068 035/048 026/049
0/U 00/U 00/B 00/U 15/W 78/W 42/J
HDN 061 028/070 035/082 042/089 049/081 039/053 028/052
1/U 00/U 00/B 00/U 13/W 78/W 53/W
MLS 056 029/067 037/079 044/086 052/082 040/052 028/048
2/J 00/U 00/U 00/U 01/B 57/W 42/W
4BQ 054 028/068 038/079 044/085 052/082 041/053 029/047
1/B 00/U 00/U 00/U 01/B 57/W 52/J
BHK 050 024/061 036/076 041/083 048/081 041/052 027/047
2/J 00/U 00/B 00/U 01/B 47/W 42/J
SHR 053 025/066 033/076 040/083 047/076 036/050 024/048
0/U 00/U 00/B 00/U 12/W 68/W 53/J
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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