A FIRE WEATHER WATCH has been issued for northeast Montana for Friday afternoon and evening.
A HEAT ADVISORY has been issued for Thursday for areas west of the Continental Divide.
Wednesday was the hottest day of the year so far for much of Montana, but the numbers will only climb Thursday. Records will likely fall across most of the state on Thursday as the peak of this early season heat hits Montana. Highs will reach the 90s for most of the state, and a few towns in eastern Montana could come close to 100! That's scorching hot for early June. While the day starts out clear, a few isolated thunderstorms will fire in the western mountains during the afternoon and evening, and could potentially drift down over the adjacent lower elevations. An isolated storm or two could continue Thursday night into Friday morning. Friday will be another hot day with highs in the 80s and 90s. Afternoon thunderstorms will be scattered across central and eastern Montana. The timing of the developing storms and cloud cover will likely affect how many towns set record highs again. If the storms form a little earlier in the afternoon, high temperatures will not be as hot. The combination of hot temperatures, gusty wind, and thunderstorms will increase the fire danger across most of eastern Montana. A cold front will move through on Saturday with thunderstorms in central and eastern Montana. It will not be "cold" behind the front, but temperatures will cool back into the 70s and 80s for highs in western and central areas. Eastern Montana will still reach the 90s to around 100. A strong west wind will develop behind the front, so fire danger will be an issue. Temperatures will cool back down into the 70s with partly cloudy skies and breezy conditions on Sunday. Temperatures should stay in the 70s next week with an increasing chance of thunderstorms toward the middle of the week.
Stay cool!
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
