636
FXUS65 KBYZ 240212
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
812 PM MDT THU APR 23 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- IMPACTFUL WEATHER SYSTEM CONTINUES INTO FRIDAY. IMPACTS INCLUDE
GUSTY WINDS, SOME PRECIPITATION (RAIN AND SNOW), AND COOLER
TEMPERATURES.
- THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON,
ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT DROPPING THROUGH THE REGION. EXPECT
WIDESPREAD GUSTS OF 30 TO 50 MPH.
- THE WEATHER SYSTEM WILL IMPACT TRAVEL FOR PORTIONS OF THE
FOOTHILLS AND RECREATION IN THE HIGH COUNTRY. COOL AND WET
CONDITIONS WILL IMPACT YOUNG LIVESTOCK.
- COOL AND UNSETTLED CONDITIONS CONTINUE THIS WEEKEND INTO NEXT
WEEK.
UPDATE
MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS AND IMPACTING THE BEARTOOTH/RED
LODGE FOOTHILLS THIS EVENING, AS WELL AS SHERIDAN COUNTY. PERIODS
OF SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITY (1 MILE OR LESS) HAVE BEEN
OCCURRING WITH THE HEAVIEST SHOWERS. FOR THOSE TRAVELING IN THESE
AREAS, BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS WITH SLICK
ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. SNOW TOTALS ALONG THE MENTIONED
FOOTHILLS AND THE BIGHORNS HAVE INCREASED A BIT, ESPECIALLY AROUND
STORY, WYOMING. THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS REFLECT THIS
AND REMAIN IN GOOD SHAPE. MATOS
DISCUSSION
THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT BROUGHT RAIN/SNOW TO THE AREA
OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING HAS LIFTED NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN
CANADA AS OF THIS AFTERNOON. WHERE CLOUDS HAVE BROKEN,
TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED INTO THE 40S TO LOWER 50S, THOUGH
TEMPERATURES IN THE 30S ARE COMMON OVER THE WEST AND EAST. GUSTY
NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION WITH LOCATIONS NEAR THE
DAKOTAS BORDER CONTINUING TO SEE GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH (BAKER).
THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM, IN THE FORM OF A SHARP SHORTWAVE AND
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS DROPPING SOUTHEAST THROUGH WESTERN AND
CENTRAL MONTANA THIS AFTERNOON, AND WILL BRING SHOWERS TO WESTERN
AREAS THIS AFTERNOON, WITH A RAIN/SNOW MIX QUICKLY TURNING OVER TO
SNOW AS THE SHOWERS WORK INTO THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS. QUICK REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY, GUSTY WINDS AND EVEN A
FEW RUMBLES OF THUNDER ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE SHOWERS. THE GUSTY
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL SHIFT MORE NORTHERLY WITH THE PUSH OF COLD
AIR, GRADUALLY DECREASING INTO THIS EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF
UPSLOPE WINDS, STRONG LOW TO MID LEVEL INSTABILITY, AND GOOD LIFT
THROUGH THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE SHOULD BRING PERIODS OF MODERATE
SNOW TO THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS INTO FRIDAY. ADDITIONAL SNOW
SHOWERS ENHANCED BY CONTINUED UPSLOPE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERAL INCHES OF MORE SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED IN
THE MOUNTAINS, WITH THE NORTHERLY UPSLOPE AREAS FAVORED INTO
FRIDAY. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR FOOTHILL LOCATIONS
IMMEDIATE TO THE MOUNTAINS, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE IN
NORTHERLY FAVORED AREAS (RED LODGE AND STORY). FOR THE LOWER
ELEVATIONS, OUTSIDE OF THE HIGHER HILLS, MOST AREAS WILL NOT SEE
MUCH IN THE WAY OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. HAVE ADDED THE LOWER
ELEVATIONS OF PARK COUNTY INTO A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY, AND
EXTENDED THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE BEARTOOTH/ABSAROKAS AND
THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE BIGHORNS THROUGH THE DAY
FRIDAY. LOW PRESSURE CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN CANADA WILL KEEP COOL
TEMPERATURES IN PLACE FOR FRIDAY, WITH BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS
(GUSTS 20-40 MPH, STRONGEST OVER THE NORTH).
COOL AND UNSETTLED CONDITIONS LOOK TO CONTINUE FOR THE WEEKEND
INTO NEXT WEEK AS A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE REMAINS CENTERED
OVER SASKATCHEWAN, KEEPING LOWER HEIGHTS OVER THE REGION. PERIODS
OF RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE MOST DAYS (30-50% CHANCE) AS
DISTURBANCES MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. A WAVE LIFTING OUT OF THE
GREAT BASIN ON SUNDAY MAY PHASE IN WITH THE NORTHERN LOW,
ADVECTING MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. WHILE THERE IS A LOT OF
UNCERTAINTY, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR INCREASED PRECIPITATION
CHANCES, ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHEAST MT (50-80% CHANCE). WILL NEED
TO SEE HOW THIS SYSTEM EVOLVES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. HIGH
TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO RANGE FROM THE 40S SATURDAY, TO THE
UPPER 30S TO 40S SUNDAY, AND 40S TO 50S MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
STP
AVIATION
PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS WILL AFFECT THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF
SOUTHERN MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING THROUGH FRIDAY AS
PERIODIC DISTURBANCES IN THE MAIN FLOW PATTERN ROTATE THROUGH THE
REGION. AREAS NEAR THE MOUNTAINS (IE KLVM/KRED/KSHR) WILL SEE
IFR/MVFR MOST FREQUENTLY. OTHER LOCATIONS AWAY FROM THE TERRAIN
WILL BE MOSTLY VFR TO LOCAL MVFR IN SCATTERED RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS.
MOUNTAINS WILL BE OBSCURED THROUGH THE PERIOD. LOOK FOR NORTHWEST
WINDS TO BECOME BRISK AGAIN AT MOST LOCATIONS TODAY (GUSTS 25-30
KTS POSSIBLE LOCALLY). BT
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 030/045 026/049 029/045 031/048 031/059 036/058 036/059
22/J 11/B 26/J 55/W 23/W 13/W 11/B
LVM 023/036 018/045 024/043 027/049 029/055 032/057 033/058
55/J 12/J 26/J 35/W 23/W 13/W 11/B
HDN 028/047 024/051 029/048 031/050 029/060 033/059 034/060
32/J 11/B 27/W 65/W 23/W 23/W 22/W
MLS 028/044 025/047 028/046 030/048 028/056 031/056 032/056
01/N 10/B 35/W 53/W 11/B 11/B 11/B
4BQ 029/045 024/048 030/044 030/045 027/055 032/056 032/055
22/J 11/B 47/W 63/W 11/B 12/W 11/B
BHK 024/044 022/048 026/043 028/044 024/052 028/053 027/053
01/N 11/B 37/W 63/W 11/B 01/U 01/B
SHR 024/039 020/046 024/044 027/045 026/054 029/054 030/054
75/J 33/W 38/W 75/W 33/W 24/W 23/W
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON MDT FRIDAY FOR
ZONES 40-64-65.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT FRIDAY FOR
ZONES 56-66-171.
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT FRIDAY FOR ZONE
67.
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM MDT FRIDAY FOR ZONE
68.
WY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT FRIDAY FOR
ZONE 198.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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