180
FXUS65 KBYZ 091924
AFDBYZ

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
124 PM MDT Tue Jun 9 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Occasional showers and weak thunderstorms today into early next
  week. The chance of severe weather is low.

- Cooler conditions will lead to high elevation snow showers at
  times. Some impacts to recreation and travel in the high county
  are possible (mainly above 8,000 feet). This includes travel
  along the Beartooth Highway through the Beartooth Mountains and
  Highway 14 through the Bighorn Mountains.

- Windy conditions today through Thursday, strongest Wednesday
  into Thursday morning.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Today through Monday...

A broad low pressure system will bring cooler and unsettled
weather to the area today into Thursday.

The initial cold front associated with the low pressure system is
moving through the area this afternoon and is expected to move
east into North Dakota and South Dakota by mid-afternoon. With
this, breezy westerly wind gusts in the 20s and 30s mph are common
along and behind the cold front. Scattered showers and isolated
thunderstorms are expected to develop behind the cold front as
well today and move east through the area this afternoon and
evening. While the post- front environment will not favor strong
to severe thunderstorms, steep low level lapse rates may allow for
thunderstorms capable of producing brief gusty winds, small hail,
and moderate rain (15 to 40 percent chance of lightning, greatest
over south- central Montana). Look for showers and thunderstorms
to decrease in coverage late this evening into tonight.

The strongest synoptic winds associated with the low pressure
system arrive Wednesday. With this, widespread wind gusts in the
20s to 40s mph are forecast, strongest over the foothills west of
Billings where occasional gusts into the low 50s mph are possible
(50 percent chance around Big Timber and 70 percent chance around
Harlowton). Wednesday night into Thursday morning, the windy
conditions will continue, though the strongest winds will
gradually shift east through time. Thursday afternoon and evening,
the winds will decrease across the area as the low pressure
system exits the area.

Along with the wind, the chance of precipitation continues
Wednesday into Thursday. On Wednesday, another round of scattered
showers and isolated weak thunderstorms is forecast near the
Montana and Wyoming state line during afternoon and evening. While
drier conditions are expected around and north of Billings,
isolated showers and weak thunderstorms are also forecast late in
the afternoon into the evening with cyclonic flow aloft. Late
Wednesday into Thursday, a secondary piece of energy on the back
side of the low pressure system will bring another round of
scattered to widespread light showers to much of the area. While
the chance is low (5 to 15 percent), embedded thunder is possible.

Today through Thursday, temperatures will be cold enough to allow
for snow showers in the mountains (generally above 8000 feet,
though snow levels may drop near 7000 feet tonight). With this,
snow showers may impact mountains recreation and travel at times.
This includes travel over the highest elevations of the Beartooth
Highway in the Beartooth Mountains and Highway 14 through the
Bighorn Mountains.

While conditions trend drier and warmer Friday, ensemble
forecasts suggest additional waves of energy will drop into the
area from the northwest this weekend into early next week,
bringing cooler temperatures and the chance of precipitation back
to the area. LA

.AVIATION...

Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms this afternoon have
the potential to bring gusty winds 30-40 kts. Breezy
southwest to west winds will continue at KLVM through the day
Wednesday gusting 30-40 kts. Westerly gusts 25-35 kts will be
common across south-central MT Wednesday. Mountains will
experience periodic obscurations through Wednesday with snow
showers at the highest elevations. TS

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...

    Wed     Thu     Fri     Sat     Sun     Mon     Tue
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 049/068 048/074 048/080 050/068 046/068 046/073 048/080
    32/T    31/N    00/U    25/T    33/T    12/T    11/B
LVM 038/058 038/070 040/076 041/065 038/065 038/071 041/077
    75/T    40/N    00/U    35/T    43/T    23/T    22/T
HDN 047/069 045/073 044/079 048/068 043/067 043/072 045/079
    42/W    63/W    00/U    34/T    33/W    22/T    21/B
MLS 051/070 046/070 046/076 048/068 045/067 045/071 047/076
    31/N    57/W    00/U    23/W    22/W    23/T    12/T
4BQ 050/069 045/069 045/078 048/068 044/064 044/069 046/075
    53/W    46/W    00/U    34/T    43/W    23/T    12/T
BHK 048/069 042/066 043/074 045/065 042/065 042/068 044/072
    41/N    68/T    00/U    12/W    23/W    23/T    12/T
SHR 042/065 039/070 040/078 044/067 040/063 039/068 041/075
    57/T    52/W    00/U    37/T    55/T    34/T    22/T

&&

.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...None.
WY...None.

&&

$$
weather.gov/billings