A mild November pattern will dominate Montana and northern Wyoming this week, offering residents generally pleasant weather with only brief periods of wind and scattered mountain showers.
Sunday night
Strong winds are easing across the state. The most significant gusts have been along the Rocky Mountain Front and in north‑central Montana, while south‑central areas around Livingston and Nye have also felt strong breezes. Northeast Montana remains breezy before winds settle later tonight. Western Montana will retain considerable cloud cover, with isolated showers possible, especially in northwest Montana near the Idaho border.
Monday
Monday will be cooler but still relatively mild for November, with highs generally in the 50s across most of Montana and northern Wyoming. Western and northwest Montana will stay cloudier, with isolated showers near the mountains and the Canadian border. Central, eastern and southern Montana should stay dry with lighter winds than Sunday.
Monday night
A new disturbance approaches the Northern Rockies, increasing clouds and bringing light precipitation back toward the western and central mountains. Winds will begin to pick up again near the Rocky Mountain Front. Northeast Montana will see increasing cloud cover, though measurable precipitation looks limited.
Tuesday
The best chance for widespread unsettled weather arrives Tuesday as the disturbance moves across the region. Western Montana will see more numerous showers, but relatively warm temperatures should keep snow mainly above about 6,000 feet. Light mountain precipitation is also possible along the Continental Divide and across southwest and central Montana. South‑central areas could see isolated mountain and foothill showers, with west winds gusting 20‑40 mph in some spots. Northeast Montana may catch a stray shower, though most locations should receive little, if any, measurable precipitation.
Wednesday
A ridge of high pressure begins to take control, bringing a return to generally dry and mild weather across Montana and northern Wyoming. Western Montana will be the exception, as strengthening valley inversions may produce morning fog, low clouds and cooler conditions in the Flathead, Mission, Missoula and Bitterroot valleys. Elsewhere, sunshine should help temperatures recover into the upper 50s and 60s in many locations.
Thursday
High pressure strengthens across the Northern Rockies, producing mostly dry weather statewide and another step upward in temperatures. November temperatures will run well above normal across the plains. Persistent inversions could continue holding areas of western Montana under patches of fog or low clouds, keeping some valleys cooler than surrounding higher terrain.
Friday
Friday continues the mild and largely dry pattern. North‑central Montana should be near the warmest point of the week, while south‑central, southeast Montana, northeast Montana and northern Wyoming remain comfortably above seasonal averages. Western valleys could stay locally cooler if inversions and low clouds persist, although the larger‑scale pattern stays mild.
Saturday and beyond
The ridge should keep much of Montana and northern Wyoming mild and mainly dry into Saturday. Confidence then decreases as the ridge begins shifting east and eventually breaking down, which could allow stronger southwest flow to return, particularly across western Montana, bringing another increase in wind and renewed precipitation chances along the Continental Divide and western mountains.
Original reporting: KTVQ Q2 Billings (local) — read the source article.
