843 FXUS65 KBYZ 240820 AFDBYZArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Billings MT 220 AM MDT Wed Sep 24 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Warm and dry into the weekend.
- A dry cold front brings breezy and slightly cooler conditions to the region Friday.
- Pattern change towards more seasonal temperatures with occasional chances of precipitation possible by early next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Tuesday...
Warm and dry conditions are forecast into the weekend with upper level ridging generally in place. This means high temperatures in the upper 70s and 80s and low temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Some breezy conditions could develop today over portions of the region, but no strong winds are expected with the ridge overhead. Really, the only system to watch during this time is a fast moving shortwave trough that looks to pass through northern Montana and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan late Thursday into Friday. While this system is expected to pass too far north to produce precipitation for us, it will send a cold front through our area. This will bring breezy conditions and slightly cooler temperatures to the area Friday. With this, northwesterly wind gusts in the teens to 30s (mph) look to be common along and behind the front. The current probability of seeing 40 mph or greater wind gusts is low. However, should this system dig a bit farther south than currently advertised, stronger gusts could be realized.
Sunday into early next week, the ridge axis looks to shift east of our area. This will allow winds aloft to back out of the southwest, opening the door to increased moisture and waves of energy. While Sunday looks to remain warm and mostly dry with the influence of the exiting ridge still over our area, cooler temperatures and the chance of precipitation look to return to the area at some point early next week. Just how quickly this occurs remains uncertain due to differences in the upper level trough progression over the western United States. Arends
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions will prevail into Thursday. Over south- central Montana, look for breezy conditions to develop this morning out of the Bighorn Basin/Canyon. Arends
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue ------------------------------------------------------- BIL 083 052/083 055/079 048/083 052/084 054/082 055/077 0/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 11/B 12/W LVM 083 045/084 046/076 042/081 046/082 048/077 047/069 0/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 12/W 34/W HDN 084 047/086 049/078 045/083 047/085 050/083 051/079 0/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 11/B 21/B MLS 085 049/083 051/078 046/083 051/086 052/085 053/080 0/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 11/U 4BQ 082 050/083 052/077 047/081 054/084 054/083 055/079 0/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 11/U BHK 083 047/082 050/077 044/082 049/085 051/083 052/079 0/U 00/U 00/N 00/U 00/U 00/B 10/U SHR 081 047/084 047/077 044/082 047/084 049/081 049/077 0/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 11/U 11/U
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...None. WY...None.
&&
$$ weather.gov/billings
NWS BYZ Office Area Forecast Discussion