NEXT WEATHER MAKER:
Very little change in the short term weather pattern for SW Montana. More lingering wildfire smoke and slightly cooler than normal temperatures into Friday morning. A cold front will pass through Friday afternoon and there is a slight chance for a few afternoon thunderstorms mostly east of the divide.
There is a “Marginal” risk for a few severe thunderstorms Friday afternoon for central Montana counties.
A bigger pattern change will arrive late weekend into early next week. A large blocking High pressure ridge over the eastern Pacific will send cool storms up into Alaska and then drop down into Montana. A cool and hopefully wet weather pattern is expected to begin Sunday night and continue through Tuesday.
City by City Forecast:
BOZEMAN: LOW: 49°; HIGH FRIDAY: 81°. Dry and smoky through Friday morning. A mostly dry cold front will hit Bozeman Friday afternoon and could produce a few strong thunderstorms across Central Montana. Look for increasing surface winds, lower humidity and warmer temperatures ahead of this front Friday and higher fire danger.
BUTTE: LOW: 42°; HIGH FRIDAY: 78°. Very smoky this afternoon for Butte and that will likely not change at all into Friday. Cold front will hit Butte by early afternoon Friday producing stronger surface winds but very little in the way of precipitation.
DILLON: LOW: 45°; HIGH FRIDAY: 77°. Dry, smoky and warm weather pattern to continue for Dillon into Friday. A cold front will pass just North of Dillon by Friday afternoon. Look for increasing surface winds but very little to no precipitation is expected.
WEST YELLOWSTONE: LOW: 35°; HIGH FRIDAY: 74°. Thick wildfire smoke will sit over West Yellowstone in the short term weather pattern. A cold front could bring an isolated rumble of thunder your way Friday afternoon and increasing surface winds.
