FRIDAY, APRIL 10TH: Friday will be a beautiful day with highs warming into the 60s for most areas, with a few spots potentially hitting 70 under mostly sunny conditions. Upper-level clouds will move in the afternoon. A couple of thunderstorms will form in southwest Montana. These should stay south of Helena. Expect light winds out of the east of around 5-10 MPH.
Helena is dealing with smoke from the Mini-Horse prescribed burn that took place near Grizzly Gulch Drive on Thursday. Air quality is unhealthy throughout most of the downtown area. While air quality should slightly improve through the rest of the day, light winds will allow some of the smoke to stick around through tomorrow afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms moving through the area will help improve air quality.
SATURDAY, APRIL 11TH: A warm, moist southwest flow moves into the area, which will prompt the formation of scattered showers and thunderstorms Saturday afternoon. Severe weather is not looking likely, but lightning strikes and gusty winds will be produced by some storms. Highs will reach the upper 60s to 70s across the state.
Storms will move into the Helena area around 2-3 PM. Expect thunderstorm activity a little later, around 4-6 PM in Great Falls. Showers and storms will continue to move northeast through the rest of the day.
SUNDAY, APRIL 12TH: Wet weather will stick around on Sunday. A few thunderstorms will stick around in the southern half of the state, but a surface cold front moving in from the north will reduce instability, and therefore reduce the likelihood of storms in the northern half of Montana.
Southwest flow from a center of low pressure and north flow will interact and create an area of enhanced precipitation somewhere around the Missoula-Helena-Lewistown line Sunday afternoon into Monday morning. This could bring very beneficial rainfall to lower elevations and snow to the mountains.
MONDAY, APRIL 13TH: Rain and possibly a few wet snowflakes will continue Monday morning. Precip will become less widespread in the afternoon. Highs reach the 50s across the state.
LONG-RANGE FORECAST: Several storm systems are on the way next week, bringing cooler temperatures and overall wetter weather.
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WEATHER ALERTS:
NONE
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Helena Temperature Records Today:
High: 78 (2023)
Low: 12 (1929)
AVG: 55/31
Great Falls Temperature Records Today:
High: 78 (2023)
Low: 6 (1935)
AVG: 53/29
