Good Morning and Happy Friday! The cloud cover will increase throughout the day and there will be scattered showers and thunderstorms around, generally during the afternoon and evening, as a cold front pushes southward through the state. The scattered showers/storms will develop along the Hi-Line/Canadian border mid-late morning and move southward as the day goes on, impacting the Great Falls and Lewistown areas during the afternoon/evening and impacting the Helena area during the evening.
Here is today's forecast:
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue across central Montana tonight, including around Great Falls, Helena, and Lewistown. This precipitation will gradually move out of our area overnight, leading to mostly dry conditions during the second half of the night.
Winds will also increase today, with widespread breezy conditions expected this afternoon and evening. Sustained winds will generally range from 10 to 20 mph, with gusts exceeding 30 mph at times. A LAKE WIND ADVISORY is in effect for Fort Peck Lake from 11am through 9pm today.
It will be a little cooler in north-central Montana today as highs are going to be in the 60s and mid to upper 50s. Pleasant temperatures around the Helena area again today as highs are going to be in the mid to upper 60s and low 70s.
Tomorrow will be a mostly dry day, although isolated rain and mountain snow showers are possible, generally during the morning, as today’s disturbance leaves the state. Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy across north-central Montana, while cloud cover around Helena will gradually decrease through the day. Tomorrow will be the cooler day of the weekend, with highs topping out in the upper 50s and 60s. There is also going to be a bit of a breeze around in some areas tomorrow as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
High pressure will bring beautiful weather to the region Sunday and Monday. Sunday will feature mostly sunny skies and dry conditions, while Monday will be partly cloudy and mainly dry. Winds will be light both days.
Saturday night will be chilly as lows are going to be in the mid to upper 30s and low to mid 40s. Some areas may see patchy frost Sunday morning, so make sure you take the necessary precautions to protect any sensitive plants you may have. Temperatures will rebound nicely Sunday afternoon, with highs climbing into the upper 60s and low to mid 70s. Even warmer weather arrives Monday, with highs reaching the mid 70s to lower 80s.
Tuesday looks warm and windy as another cold front approaches. Highs will reach the upper 70s to mid 80s, while sustained winds increase to 15 to 30 mph with gusts potentially reaching 50 mph. A few showers and thunderstorms may also develop later in the day.
Wednesday will be a gusty and cooler day as the cold front continues to impact the region. Sustained winds will range from 10 to 25 mph and highs will be back in the mid to upper 60s and low to mid 70s. A few showers and thunderstorms are also possible and it will be partly to mostly sunny.
Have a great weekend!
Chief Meteorologist Ryan Dennis
