Wintery Conditions Expected around Billings this Weekend

Everybody around town seems to have spring fever and many of us are looking forward to those long, sunny days and mild summer nights that are on the horizon. My kids are already talking about setting up the pool and I'm anxious to get some plants going in the garden. We're still a few weeks away from either of those things happening.

The National Weather Service Billings shared a Tweet yesterday (4/15) reminding us that spring weather in Montana can change at the drop of a hat. This weekend will be a prime example, with highs in the 60's and sunshine on Saturday, followed by rapidly deteriorating conditions Sunday night into Monday.

They've issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Sunday night into Monday for large portions of south central Montana, warning that travel conditions could be sketchy on Monday's commute. Here's what to expect:

A powerful cold front will move through Sunday afternoon creating a sharp drop in temperatures with areas of snowfall developing. Mountains and foothills will see the best chance for snow, but the lower elevations could see a couple of inches. Travel conditions will likely be affected by areas of snow and blowing snow. 

At this time they're forecasting about 2 inches of snow in the lower elevations beginning Sunday night, but the foothills and higher elevations could see significant accumulation. Don't put away that ice scraper quite yet.

Some of my coworkers have been complaining about the cool, wet weather we've been having lately. I don't have the heart to remind them that our wettest month is still to come. May traditionally sees the most rainfall in Montana, with Billings averaging 2.7 inches of precipitation in May.