Hammond, Montana Weather Forecast Discussion

879
FXUS65 KBYZ 022001
AFDBYZ
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
201 PM MDT Thu Oct 2 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Cool and wet system arrives Saturday, lasting through the
  weekend.
- Widespread rainfall across the plains, 50-90% chance for at
  least 0.5 inches.
- Moderate to heavy snowfall may impact recreation and travel
  this weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Rest of Today through Wednesday...
Broad ridging with southwest flow will continue into Friday. Weak
energy moving through the flow today is producing light rain
showers in the western zones. The chance for precipitation remains
low through Friday afternoon, 10-40% in the far west. Temperatures
remain slightly well above normal on Friday, with highs in the 70s
(west-central) to mid 80s (east).
Model agreement remains moderate to high with the timing of an
approaching upper trough moving into the region, late Friday
through the weekend. This system will bring cooler and wetter
conditions to the region, along with an increasing chance for
precipitation. The trough axis will dig into Utah by Saturday
morning, before moving through Wyoming and into southern MT and
northern Plains. The chance for precipitation is moderate to high
Friday night through Saturday. With the trough moving east on
Sunday, the chance for precipitation will quickly decrease through
the morning.
As the trough digs into the southern Rockies on Saturday, surface
winds will become more favorable for north/northwest upslope flow
in the mountains and foothills. As the mentioned cooler air
spills over the area, snow levels will drop to around 6,000 feet
by Sunday morning. Moderate to heavy snowfall will begin around
midday Saturday in the Absaroka/Beartooth and Crazy mountains.
Snowfall will begin later Saturday in the Bighorn mountains.
Expect snow to continue through Sunday night. The greatest snow
accumulations are expected above 8,000 feet for all mountains.
Light snow accumulations in the immediate Red Lodge and Melville
foothills are possible, with a 25-50% chance of at least 0.1" of
snowfall and a 10-20% chance of an inch of snow.
As a result of this, Winter Storm watches have been issued for the
mountains. For the Absaroka/Beartooth and Crazies, the watch
begins Saturday morning and ends Sunday evening. Storm total snow
amounts between 8 and 16 inches with locally higher amounts are
possible. For the Bighorns the watch begins Saturday evening and
ends Sunday evening, with storm total snow amounts between 7 and
14 inches. Impacts to recreation in the high country are possible
and travel along the Beartooth Highway and US14/US14A through the
Bighorns may become very difficult.
Widespread rainfall across the plains is also expected, with
storm total amounts between 0.5" and 1" across the lower
elevations. In the mountains and foothills, 1" to 2" of
precipitation are forecast. The chance for at least 0.5" of QPF is
50-90%.
Lastly, 850mb temperatures anomalies of -4C to -8C are depicted
Saturday afternoon through Sunday. Highs are forecast to be in the
low 50s and 60s for much of the area Saturday, while 60s to
around 70F are forecast in the far east as the cooler air doesn`t
sneak in until later on Saturday. Highs on Sunday are forecast to
be in the upper 40s (west) to mid 50s (east). There is a moderate
to high chance of low temperatures around or below freezing,
Sunday night and Monday morning. The greatest chance exists over
the foothills.
As this system departs Sunday, cool and dry conditions are
forecast Monday and Tuesday. High temperatures are forecast to be
in the 50s to 60F. Matos
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions will prevail through most of the next 24 hours.
Friday afternoon, showers and general thunderstorms will begin to
impact western mountains and foothills including KLVM. These will
spread across southeast Montana Friday evening and overnight. This
will bring the chance for MVFR conditions. Torgerson
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Fri     Sat     Sun     Mon     Tue     Wed     Thu
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 052/076 051/056 042/051 035/057 034/058 038/067 043/069
    11/B    69/W    75/W    21/U    00/U    01/U    11/U
LVM 044/074 041/053 033/047 025/056 027/058 031/066 036/068
    22/W    89/W    87/W    21/U    00/U    01/U    11/U
HDN 048/078 049/058 040/052 033/058 031/060 033/068 038/070
    01/B    79/W    84/W    21/U    00/U    01/U    11/U
MLS 053/081 052/063 043/056 033/059 032/058 036/067 040/069
    00/B    47/W    82/W    11/U    00/U    00/U    11/U
4BQ 054/082 051/064 043/053 036/056 033/057 038/067 041/069
    00/U    26/W    93/W    11/B    00/U    00/U    11/U
BHK 051/086 048/068 042/056 031/058 030/057 033/067 039/069
    00/U    23/W    92/W    11/B    00/U    00/U    10/U
SHR 047/082 045/060 035/049 029/055 028/058 031/067 036/069
    00/B    59/T    97/W    41/B    00/U    11/U    11/U
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Storm Watch in effect from Saturday morning through
      Sunday afternoon FOR ZONES 67-68.
     Winter Storm Watch in effect from Saturday evening through
      Sunday afternoon FOR ZONE 171.
WY...Winter Storm Watch in effect from Saturday evening through
      Sunday afternoon FOR ZONE 198.
&&
$$
weather.gov/billings

NWS BYZ Office Area Forecast Discussion