096  
FXUS65 KBYZ 270727  
AFDBYZ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT  
127 AM MDT MON JUL 27 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- HOT AND MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE THIS WEEK.  
 
- SMOKE SETTLES ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEK, REDUCTIONS TO  
VISIBILITY AND AIR QUALITY ARE POSSIBLE.  
 
- ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING CAPABLE  
OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS UP TO OR IN EXCESS OF 65 MPH OVER FAR  
SOUTHEAST MT.  
 
- DAILY CHANCE (10-30%) FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY...  
 
CONVECTION CONTINUES THIS MORNING BRINGING WEAK SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH AND LIGHTNING.  
ACTIVITY SHOULD DIMINISH THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS BEFORE  
INCREASING AGAIN LATER THIS MORNING.  
 
RIDGING CONTINUES ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS WEEK. HIGH  
TEMPERATURES WILL REGULARLY BE IN THE 90S TO 100F EACH DAY ALONG  
WITH DAILY AFTERNOON SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES.  
 
TODAY, A FEW OF THE LATEST HIRES MODEL RUNS ARE DEPICTING  
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING NEAR AND EAST OF THE PRYORS AND NORTHERN  
BIGHORN MOUNTAINS LATER THIS MORNING. THE STRENGTH OF THESE STORMS  
IS WORTH MONITORING, AS THE LATEST HRRR AND RRFS SHOW SEVERE WIND  
GUSTS (GREATER THAN 60 MPH) IN SOUTHERN POWDER RIVER AND  
PROGRESSING THROUGH CARTER COUNTY INTO WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. A  
MARGINAL RISK FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS BEEN  
INTRODUCED ACROSS SOUTHERN MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING FOR SEVERE  
WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 65 MPH TODAY.  
 
SMOKE FROM WESTERN WILDFIRES WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE  
AREA TODAY AS WELL. ALONG WITH SOME REDUCTIONS TO VISIBILITY,  
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES MAY BE A BIT LOWER AND MINIMUM RELATIVE  
HUMIDITIES MAY REMAIN A TOUCH HIGHER. INCREASING CLOUD COVER WILL  
ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO POTENTIALLY LOWER HIGHS AND HIGHER MINIMUM  
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES.  
 
SEVERAL NEURAL NETWORKS ARE DEPICTING AN INCREASING CHANCE FOR  
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN MONTANA, TUESDAY  
THROUGH THURSDAY. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE FORECAST AS THIS WEEK  
PROGRESSES.  
 
MODELS CONTINUE TO DEPICT A POTENTIAL PATTERN CHANGE NEXT WEEK,  
WITH A SYSTEM OUT OF THE NORTHWEST FLATTENING THE PATTERN AND  
BRINGING WESTERLY FLOW.  
 
MATOS  
   
AVIATION
 
 
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND WEAK THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE  
EAST THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. BRIEF REDUCTIONS TO MVFR AND  
GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY.  
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LIFT NORTH AND EAST THROUGH  
THE AREA ONCE AGAIN STARTING BY LATER THIS MORNING/AFTERNOON,  
CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. CONVECTION MAY LINGER INTO THE  
OVERNIGHT HOURS. MVFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE  
THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE OVER  
FAR SOUTHEAST MT, WITH WIND GUSTS 40-60 KTS IN THE AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING.  
 
WILDFIRE SMOKE FROM THE PACIFIC NW WILL BRING SLANT RANGE  
VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS. SURFACE VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED IN SOME  
LOCATIONS, WITH PERIODIC MVFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. STP  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
 
 
TDY TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN  
-------------------------------------------------------  
BIL 093 066/099 066/098 066/099 067/100 067/104 070/100  
2/T 12/T 21/U 21/U 10/U 00/G 00/U  
LVM 092 057/096 058/095 057/099 058/099 059/103 061/099  
2/T 22/T 11/U 10/U 11/U 00/G 10/U  
HDN 095 064/101 065/100 064/100 065/100 064/104 068/100  
2/T 12/T 21/U 20/U 11/U 00/G 00/U  
MLS 099 068/102 070/102 068/099 068/100 067/104 073/101  
2/K 12/W 22/T 31/U 21/U 10/G 00/G  
4BQ 099 068/099 069/099 066/096 067/098 067/101 072/100  
2/T 22/T 35/T 51/U 11/U 10/G 00/U  
BHK 099 064/099 065/101 064/097 063/097 063/100 067/101  
2/T 22/W 23/T 52/W 22/T 10/U 00/G  
SHR 093 062/096 063/097 061/096 062/098 061/100 065/099  
2/T 12/T 13/T 21/U 01/U 00/U 00/U  
 

 
   
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MT...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR ZONES  
30-31-36-58-169.  
EXTREME HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR  
ZONES 32-33-37.  
WY...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
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