148
FXUS65 KBYZ 290637
AFDBYZ

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
1237 AM MDT Thu Oct 29 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Patchy fog this morning and Friday morning.

- Mostly dry with seasonable temperatures today into Saturday.

- A weather system may bring cooler temperatures, precipitation,
  and windy conditions to the region Sunday into Monday, though
  uncertainty remains.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Today through Wednesday...

Cool temperatures, light winds, and dew point depressions near
zero may result in patchy fog early this morning, especially along
the Musselshell and lower Yellowstone River valleys (20 percent
chance). Any fog that does develop should lift after sunrise,
giving way to a mild and dry day with high temperatures in the 50s
to lower 60s. While winds will be lighter today than yesterday,
expect winds to shift and strengthen out of the northeast and east
through the day. With this, peak wind gusts around 10 to 20 mph
are forecast, strongest around Livingston. As the winds subside
tonight, cool temperatures and low dew point depressions may
result in another round of patchy fog across south-central and
eastern Montana (20 percent chance). Any fog that develops is
expected to lift around to a little after sunrise on Friday.

Friday into Saturday will remain mild and mainly dry, though the
chance of precipitation does begin to increase over/near the
mountains as higher atmospheric moisture content and a few waves
of energy move through the region from the south. This is
associated with the low pressure system that is expected to be
developing off the west coast of the United States. While winds
will be breezy out of the southeast in eastern Montana on Friday,
generally light winds are expected on Saturday.

Sunday into Monday, the previously mentioned low pressure system
is expected to move onshore and through our region in some
fashion, though uncertainty remains in the evolution of this
system over our region. With that said, there is at least a chance
of seeing brief cooler temperatures, precipitation, and windy
conditions over our area as this system moves through. At this
time, the chance of seeing a half inch (0.50") or more of
precipitation (rain and melted snow) is medium over the foothills
of southern Montana and northern Wyoming and the plains of far
south- eastern Montana, and high over the mountains of southern
Montana and northern Wyoming. As far as precipitation type goes,
ensembles have been consistent showing this system being too warm,
in most solutions, for snow over the plains. With that said,
dynamic cooling and/or precipitation occurring at night could
still allow for snow over some of the higher hills in south-
eastern Montana and northern Wyoming (low chance). Otherwise,
temperatures will still be cool enough for snow in the mountains.
For wind, the National Blend of Models (NBM) is currently
advertising wind gusts in the 20s to 40s mph, with a low chance of
50 mph or greater wind gusts.

Mainly dry conditions look to return Tuesday into Wednesday next
week, though a cold front may bring a brief shot of light
precipitation through the area late Tuesday into early Wednesday
(overall low chance). LA

.AVIATION...

06z Update. As a cooler Canadian air mass sags southward thru MT
there is a low risk (20%) of fog early this morning, mainly along
portions of the Yellowstone & Musselshell River valleys. TAF sites
most likely to be impacted are KMLS & KBIL. Otherwise, VFR will
prevail through the day. There is greater potential for fog and
low stratus tonight. JKL

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...

    Tdy Fri     Sat     Sun     Mon     Tue     Wed
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 053 032/047 032/058 036/053 039/052 034/057 034/054
    0/U 00/B    00/B    04/W    84/W    10/U    00/B
LVM 054 026/051 029/058 033/050 028/048 025/056 027/054
    0/U 00/B    01/B    16/W    83/W    10/U    01/B
HDN 056 028/053 028/059 031/057 034/052 028/059 029/056
    0/U 00/B    00/B    02/W    86/W    21/U    11/B
MLS 054 030/057 036/057 036/061 039/051 031/056 032/052
    0/U 00/B    00/B    01/E    66/W    31/B    11/B
4BQ 058 033/058 038/059 037/063 039/048 032/054 033/053
    0/U 00/B    00/B    01/E    77/W    41/B    10/B
BHK 057 026/054 038/062 037/064 037/051 029/054 029/053
    0/U 00/N    10/E    01/E    78/W    51/B    11/U
SHR 058 026/054 030/059 031/058 032/049 027/057 029/055
    0/U 00/B    11/B    04/W    86/W    31/U    11/B

&&

.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...None.
WY...None.

&&

$$
weather.gov/billings