717
FXUS65 KBYZ 261836
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1236 PM MDT WED AUG 26 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS AGAIN TODAY.
- LATE DAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THURSDAY.
A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG WINDS.
- ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THURSDAY.
- THE PATTERN REMAINS RELATIVELY ACTIVE THIS WEEKEND WITH A CHANCE
OF PRECIPITATION EACH DAY AND COOLING TEMPERATURES.
DISCUSSION
THE REST OF TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE REGION TODAY. A WEAK
SHORTWAVE WILL ALLOW SCATTERED (40-60% CHANCE) SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ABSAROKA/BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS AND ISOLATED
(10-40% CHANCE) SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS FAR EAST AS
SHERIDAN, WY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
A BETTER PUSH OF MOISTURE (PWATS AROUND 130-160% OF NORMAL)
ARRIVES THURSDAY, ALLOWING FOR SCATTERED (20-60% CHANCE) SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL MONTANA AND WYOMING AND
A FEW ISOLATED STORMS (<20% CHANCE) OVER THE EAST. THERE IS
POTENTIAL FOR SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS TO DEVELOP AND THE
STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A MARGINAL RISK (LEVEL 1 OF 5)
OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN MONTANA. THE MAIN THREAT IS STRONG WIND
GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH.
BEFORE THE STORMS THURSDAY, THERE IS A PERIOD OF HOT AND DRY
WEATHER, WITH HIGHS WELL INTO THE 90S. AS THUNDERSTORMS BEGIN OVER
THE WEST, OUTFLOWS AHEAD OF THE STORMS MAY BRING BRIEF BREEZY
CONDITIONS. AS A RESULT, FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE ELEVATED.
FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY, AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND SLIDES ACROSS NORTHERN MONTANA. MOISTURE
REMAINS ELEVATED, WITH PWATS AROUND 140-180% OF NORMAL, ALLOWING
SCATTERED (30-60% CHANCE) SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE
IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY
COOL THROUGH THE WEEKEND, DECREASING TO LOW 70S TO LOW 80S BY
SUNDAY.
EARLY NEXT WEEK LOOKS TO REMAIN UNSETTLED, WITH HIGHS NEAR NORMAL
(80S). ARCHER
AVIATION
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING, MAINLY OVER AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS. GUSTY WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY CONCERN WITH ANY ACTIVITY.
THE MOST LIKELY TERMINAL TO BE IMPACTED IS KLVM, BETWEEN 23Z AND
04Z.
WHILE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD,
SLANT RANGE VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED AT TIMES DUE TO WILDFIRE
SMOKE ALOFT. BT/PM
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 062/096 064/089 063/084 056/078 052/082 055/086 058/085
21/B 31/E 43/W 44/T 21/U 11/B 11/B
LVM 054/092 053/084 050/079 044/073 040/079 045/082 046/080
34/T 35/T 67/T 75/T 31/U 22/T 32/T
HDN 058/097 062/092 061/087 054/081 049/084 052/089 054/087
10/B 30/B 32/W 36/T 20/U 10/B 11/B
MLS 061/096 067/093 065/087 057/079 052/081 055/087 058/086
00/U 10/B 22/W 35/T 40/U 11/B 11/B
4BQ 062/094 067/093 065/088 058/082 052/082 055/088 058/087
00/U 10/B 32/T 34/T 20/U 11/B 11/B
BHK 053/093 062/094 062/089 053/082 048/082 050/087 053/088
00/U 11/B 33/W 35/T 41/U 11/B 21/B
SHR 055/093 059/090 058/084 050/080 045/081 049/086 051/084
20/B 12/T 36/T 33/T 10/U 11/B 11/B
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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