Dramatic Spring Weather for Montana Heading Into The Weekend

It happens every spring in Montana, and every year we act surprised when gorgeous, early spring weather returns to winterlike conditions. "Can you believe it was 72 today and now it's supposed to snow again?!" We get all angry like it's never happened before.

A wintery mix is slated to slide into most of the Treasure State for the second half of the week, beginning with scattered rain across a large portion of the state on Thursday. Temperatures will drop on Friday with daytime highs in the upper 30s and low 40s.

Forecasters are increasing the chances of snow Friday night through Monday, with much colder temps. Overnight lows could dip into the teens and low 20s with snow likely from Missoula to Billings and central Montana. According to the latest info from the National Weather Service, snow totals are largely a guessing game, as of Tuesday (3/19).

Prepare for hazardous travel conditions.

If you're heading out across the state this weekend, prepare for rapidly changing conditions, particularly in the higher elevations and mountain passes.

Get our free mobile app

Want to be a trained Weather Spotter?

As we approach the summer severe weather season, the National Weather Service in Billings is hosting several Skywarn Spotter classes. The NWS relies on these trained spotters (along with Doppler radar data) to issue warnings of tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods in our localized areas. Here is the schedule for upcoming classes:

• Big Horn County - April 8 from 6 - 8 pm at the Hardin courthouse.
• Yellowstone County - April 15 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the Billings Public Library
• All Counties Virtual - May 6 from 6 - 8 pm
• Custer County - May 20 from 6 - 8 pm at the Custer County Fire Hall
• Sheridan County, WY - May 22 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Sheridan Area Search and Rescue

Click HERE to learn more and register for any of the Skywarn Spotter classes.