BOZEMAN – Showers and thunderstorms are developing as expected across Montana Friday afternoon and evening as the first in a series of disturbances pass through the state.
Temperatures will be trending slightly cooler than normal through the weekend and most of next week.
Two additional Pacific storm fronts will roll through the state beginning Sunday afternoon and evening and the second into early next week. Showers and a few thunderstorms are possible with these systems for the first half of next week.
Forecast models are struggling to narrow in on rainfall totals with some model runs showing moderate to heavy rainfall and others around a quarter to half an inch. So pinpointing exact totals is always challenging but all forecast models show widespread rain chances and with slower moving thunderstorms there could be some locally heavy rainfall Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.
The Storm Prediction Center has a “marginal” risk out for a few strong to severe thunderstorms roughly along and south of I-90 Friday afternoon and evening and this does include both Butte and Bozeman.
If thunderstorms threaten your area look for brief heavy rain, small to large hail, strong gusty winds, and frequent lightning. Seek shelter to escape the lightning threat.
FRIDAY NIGHT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FORECAST:
Unfortunately, this pattern change could interrupt tonight’s high school football games. The greatest concern for local games will be thunderstorms and lightning. Forecast models show the stronger thunderstorms moving between Butte-Helena-Bozeman between 6 pm and 8 pm with weaker storms from Dillon-Ennis-West Yellowstone.
