A FLOOD WATCH is in effect for parts of southern and eastern Montana for Friday into Sunday morning.
Happy summer even though it did not feel like it today. Summer 2023 started off with a chill and even a few places setting new record lows. Cut Bank and Great Falls both set new record lows for the date. Temperatures will moderate but stormy weather will continue. A disturbance moving through the state on the first day of summer will produce a stormy night for central and eastern areas before moving out by morning. Thursday will be a much deserved nice day for most of the state with mostly sunny skies and highs in the 70s. Most of the state will be completely dry. That will be short-lived however as an area of low pressure will move into the state on Friday with increasing thunderstorms through the afternoon and evening. This storm will keep areas of rain and rumbles of thunder in Montana through Friday night into Saturday. Showers and thunderstorms will be more across central and eastern Montana by Saturday afternoon as the low moves away. Highs will be in the 60s and 70s. Sunday will be drier but scattered thunderstorms will develop again across the western and central part of the state in the afternoon. Highs will be in the 70s. Another round of widespread wet weather is possible Monday, Tuesday into Wednesday. Gradually temperatures will warm next week up through the 70s into the 80s, but the state will stay in a stormy pattern into July. It does appear that it will get hot and dry for the July 4th holiday weekend, with some areas coming close to 90.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
