A Heat Advisory remains in effect for central Montana until 9pm on Friday, and there is an Excessive Heat Warning in effect for eastern Montana from 10am tomorrow through 9pm on Saturday. High temperatures over the next four days (tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) are going to continue to be in the mid to upper 90s and low 100s in most locations. Thankfully, even though it is going to be hot during the day, at least we are going to get some relief from the heat at night as lows are generally going to be in the upper 50s and low to mid 60s for the next four nights.
As we head into next week, it is going to continue to be hot, although it will be slightly cooler than it is going to be over the next several days as highs are going to be in the upper 80s and low to mid 90s. It is also going to continue to be mild at night next week as lows are going to be in the upper 50s and low 60s in most locations.
Now since it is going to be hot for the foreseeable future, make sure you limit your time outdoors during the heat of the day, and if you do have to be outside at all, make sure you stay hydrated; wear loose-fitting and light-colored clothing; take frequent breaks in the shade or AC; and avoid doing strenuous activities. Also, make sure you frequently check in on family members and neighbors to make sure that they are doing okay, and make sure you NEVER leave any pets or humans in a closed car as temperatures inside a car can get very hot very quickly.
For tonight, clear skies and dry conditions are expected. For tomorrow, we are going to start the day off with a lot of sunshine, but the cloud cover is going to be on the increase during the afternoon and evening as some monsoonal moisture tries to work its way into our area. A few rain showers and thunderstorms are also possible tomorrow afternoon/evening and early tomorrow night, mainly in south-central and southwestern Montana (so locations south and west of Great Falls). Friday is then going to have increasing clouds throughout the day with some scattered rain showers and thunderstorms around during the afternoon and evening as southwesterly flow aloft brings some monsoonal moisture into our area. Most of the thunderstorms that do develop tomorrow and Friday are going to be non-severe, although frequent lightning, heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and small hail are still possible with any thunderstorms that do develop.
Overnight tonight, there is going to be a little bit of a breeze around in eastern Montana and along the Hi-Line as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph. It is then going to be windy tomorrow in eastern Montana as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 15 and 25 mph, and it is going to be breezy along the Hi-Line tomorrow as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph. Breezy conditions are then expected again on Friday in eastern Montana as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph. There is also a Red Flag Warning in effect for Phillips County and Valley County from 10am through 9pm tomorrow, and there is a Red Flag Warning in effect for Blaine County, Chouteau County, Hill County, and most of Fergus County from 9am tomorrow through 9pm on Friday as critical fire weather conditions are expected in these locations over the next two days.
This weekend is now looking drier than it was earlier this week as only isolated rain showers and thunderstorms are expected, generally during the PM hours. We are also going to have mostly sunny skies this weekend. For next week, we are going to have mostly sunny skies with a few isolated rain showers and thunderstorms around, generally during the PM hours, as some moisture continues to try and work its way into our area. There is also going to be a little bit of a breeze around on Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, especially in eastern Montana and along the Hi-Line, as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
