773
FXUS65 KBYZ 181905
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
105 PM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SNOW/RAIN SHOWERS OVER EASTERN MONTANA
TODAY.
- WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS RETURN SUNDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. DURING
THIS TIME, EXPECT SOME RISES ON STREAMS AND RIVERS COMING OUT
OF THE MOUNTAINS, AND PLEASE USE CAUTION WITH ANY BURNING.
- WEATHER SYSTEM MAY BRING COOLER, WETTER, AND WINDIER CONDITIONS
TO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
SEASONAL TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S AND 60S (F) ARE FORECAST THIS
AFTERNOON UNDER PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. WITH THIS,
BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE 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. PER RADAR AND SATELLITE
IMAGERY, ISOLATED SNOW/RAIN SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR AND EAST
OF ROSEBUD COUNTY WITHIN THE UPPER LEVEL CYCLONIC FLOW OVER
EASTERN MONTANA. LOOK FOR THESE SNOW/RAIN SHOWERS TO GRADUALLY
DECREASE IN COVERAGE THIS EVENING. TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE A
FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN LAST NIGHT IN THE 20S AND 30S (F).
SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY, CONDITIONS WILL TREND WARMER AND DRIER AS
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE NUDGES INTO THE REGION. DURING THIS
TIME, LOOK FOR DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS
AND PLAINS TO WARM INTO THE 60S AND 70S SUNDAY, 70S TO LOWER 80S
MONDAY, AND UPPER 70S AND 80S TUESDAY. WITH THIS, THERE IS EVEN A
CHANCE (10 TO 30 PERCENT) OF SEEING 90 DEGREES OVER PORTIONS OF
EASTERN MONTANA (MAINLY ALONG AND NEAR THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER
VALLEY) TUESDAY. WHILE COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN THE
MOUNTAINS, DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL BE PLENTY WARM ENOUGH TO
ALLOW MOUNTAIN SNOWMELT TO RESUME. WITH THIS, OVERNIGHT LOWS IN
THE MID- ELEVATIONS (7000 TO 9000 FEET) MAY EVEN STAY NEAR TO
ABOVE FREEZING BY MONDAY NIGHT, ALLOWING A BIT MORE EFFICIENT
SNOWMELT. WHILE NO FLOODING IS EXPECTED, SOME RISES ON STREAMS AND
RIVERS COMING OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS CAN BE EXPECTED. FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING CURRENT AND FORECAST STREAMFLOWS
AND STAGES, VISIT WATER.NOAA.GOV.
WEDNESDAY LOOKS TO BE A TRANSITION DAY AS OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM
APPROACHES THE AREA. BECAUSE OF THIS, THERE REMAINS SOME
UNCERTAINTY IN THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST, BUT GENERALLY 60S
AND 70S ARE FORECAST WEST OF BILLINGS AND 70S AND 80S AROUND AND
EAST OF BILLINGS. THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION RETURNS WEDNESDAY AS
WELL. WITH THIS, THE DIVERGENT FLOW ALOFT COMBINED WITH SOME
INSTABILITY MAY (10 TO 20 PERCENT CHANCE) ALLOW FOR SOME
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THE MAIN ISSUE WITH THIS IS THE BEST LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE FETCH COMING IN FROM THE SOUTHEAST MAY LIFT TOO
FAR NORTH INTO NORTHERN MONTANA AND SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN.
A COMPLEX WEATHER SYSTEM WILL THEN BRING A PATTERN CHANGE TO THE
AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AS IT MOVES THROUGH OUR AREA IN SOME
FASHION. AT THIS POINT, THE BIGGEST QUESTION MARK REGARDING THIS
SYSTEM IS THE TRACK, AND HOW THE TWO PIECES OF ENERGY (AN UPPER
LOW MOVING IN FROM THE WEST AND A SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO THE NORTH)
INTERACT. EITHER WAY, A COLD FRONT PASSAGE THURSDAY LOOKS TO BRING
COOLER TEMPERATURES BACK TO THE REGION. DEPENDING ON HOW THE
UPPER LOW EVOLVES OVER OUR AREA, ANOTHER PUSH OF EVEN COLDER AIR
IS POSSIBLE FRIDAY. WITH THIS, RAIN CHANGING OVER TO SNOW IS A
POSSIBILITY. ALONG WITH THE COOLER TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION
CHANCES, WINDY CONDITIONS LOOK TO RETURN AS WELL. PLEASE STAY UP
TO DATE WITH THE LATEST FORECAST FOR UPDATES THROUGH THE WEEK.
ARENDS
AVIATION
MID AND HIGH CLOUDS OVER THE EAST, INCLUDING NEAR KMLS, WILL CLEAR
THIS EVENING. BREEZY W/NW GUSTS OF 25-30 KTS WILL END THIS
EVENING AND WINDS WILL BECOME MOSTLY LIGHT OVERNIGHT. ARCHER
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 033/071 043/080 046/087 052/077 039/047 030/049 029/051
00/U 00/U 00/U 14/W 88/W 43/W 22/J
LVM 030/067 038/076 043/079 048/068 034/044 025/047 025/050
00/U 00/U 00/B 15/W 88/W 42/J 22/W
HDN 028/070 035/081 042/088 050/081 037/048 028/049 026/052
00/U 00/B 00/U 13/W 89/W 53/W 22/W
MLS 029/067 037/078 044/085 052/083 038/048 027/046 025/047
00/U 00/U 00/U 01/B 68/W 42/W 11/B
4BQ 028/067 038/078 043/085 052/082 038/048 027/045 025/047
00/U 00/U 00/U 01/B 58/W 52/J 11/B
BHK 024/061 036/075 041/083 049/082 038/050 024/043 023/045
00/U 00/U 00/U 01/B 47/W 42/J 11/B
SHR 025/065 033/075 040/082 047/077 034/046 024/046 022/047
00/U 00/U 00/U 12/W 68/W 53/J 22/J
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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