We begin the month May cool and wet across Montana. This is typical May weather especially for the first half of the month. May and June are the two wettest month’s of the year on average.
A deep trough extends from southern Canada through the northern Rockies down into southern California. This is the reason for the cool and damp weather pattern again today.
This pattern will be breaking down soon and a return of drier and warmer weather is just around the corner. See the timing of the additional showers tonight into Wednesday with the above on demand STORMTracker video forecast with Chief Meteorologist Mike Heard.
City by City Forecast:
BOZEMAN: LOW: 34°; HIGH WEDNESDAY: 57°. Mostly cloudy tonight with a few valley showers and higher mountain snow. Isolated rumbles of thunder are possible through the early evening hours. Snow levels will drop to 6,500′ and a couple of inches of snow is possible overnight. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a few afternoon showers and a little warmer.
BUTTE: LOW: 29°; HIGH WEDNESDAY: 55°. Mostly cloudy tonight with only a slight chance for a few showers. Patchy valley fog is possible by early Wednesday morning. Temperatures will be slightly warmer Wednesday and in the afternoon look for a few isolated showers.
DILLON: LOW: 33°; HIGH WEDNESDAY: 55°. Mostly cloudy tonight into Wednesday with only a slight chance for an isolated shower or two.
WEST YELLOWSTONE: LOW: 22°; HIGH WEDNESDAY: 48°. Mostly cloudy tonight with a few rain or snow showers and light northerly winds. Wednesday will be cool as well with just a few isolated showers.
8-14 Day Forecast:
Looking at the Climate Prediction Center’s 8 to 14 day forecast: temperatures are expected to jump above to well above normal across the western U.S. including Montana. This could lead to higher mountain snowpack melting and thus increased stream flows next week. Smaller streams and creeks will be running high and could overflow their banks but at the moment larger rivers are below flood stage. Flooding is possible heading into the second full week of May in SW Montana.
