In the video below, Brianna Juneau provides a detailed weather forecast, starting with warm temperatures on Friday and Saturday, and then cooling off with chances of rain for several days.
WEATHER DISCUSSION: Warm temperatures continue across the region, with highs seen in the upper 60’s through 80’s in North Central Montana. Expect low temperatures tonight in the 30’s and 40’s tonight with mostly clear skies. The gusty winds seen across North Central MT this afternoon will diminish this evening as a surface trough sags south through SW MT, also helping to generate a few isolated showers and thunderstorms across primarily SW MT. 5 to 10 mph winds with gusts up to 20 mph are possible.
Upper-level ridging re-intensifies across the western US Friday through Saturday for additional warming with temperatures peaking Saturday. Expect high temperatures tomorrow in the mid to upper-70’s and 80’s with mostly sunny/partly sunny skies. Lighter winds will be around through Friday night but will increase again on Saturday with afternoon mixing transporting breezy southwest winds.
High temperatures on Saturday peak for the rest of the week, mainly in the 80’s for most of the region. Some locations may see record highs.
Thunderstorm potential increases late Saturday as moisture is drawn north into the Northern Rockies.
Heating on Saturday will result in substantially unstable conditions supporting the development of a few thunderstorms late in the afternoon or evening.
Moisture appears to be a limiting factor for thunderstorm coverage Saturday, but there will be a risk for strong wind gusts.
Additional moisture arrives with a Pacific upper trough moving onshore Sunday, and while instability is not as high as Saturday, the increase in available moisture will support a broader coverage of showers and thunderstorms.
Expect cooling temperatures to begin on Sunday at first in the 70’s and then eventually into the 50’s by mid-next week. An active weather pattern returns next week too, with chances for widespread precipitation.
