After a week of extreme heat and fire danger, major changes are happening this weekend with tremendous rain and much cooler temperatures. Significant rain will fall over all of the state including every single wildfire. As much as 1-2" of rain will douse the fires, helping to significantly reduce activity. The one issue may be smoke and poor air quality early in the weekend, but rain and low pressure will gradually disperse the smoke. Saturday will be mostly sunny up north, but central and southern Montana will be partly cloudy with scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms, highs will be back down in the 60s and 70s. Sunday will be cloudy with rain developing from south to north through the morning. By Sunday afternoon most of the state will be looking at a steady, soaking rain coming down with highs in the 60s. Monday will be mostly cloudy with areas of rain and thunderstorms mainly across the western half of Montana. Highs will be more in the 60s and 70s. Moisture from Hurricane Hilary will produce scattered storms under partly cloudy skies Tuesday and Wednesday with highs in the 70s and 80s. The worst heat and fire danger of the year are now behind us.
Have a great weekend,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist