Current weather · Sep 28, 10:58 PM MDT

44.6020, -106.9320

56°

Mostly CloudyFeels like 56° · Humidity 56%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Billings, MT · grid 149,32
High
64°
Low
52°
Rain today
37%
Sunrise
7:02 AM
Sunset
6:54 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Mon 10 PM56°56°41°56%6%W6 mph8 mph56%3%——
Mon 11 PM56°56°41°56%6%WNW6 mph8 mph47%3%——
Tue 12 AM56°56°40°55%3%WNW6 mph7 mph48%1%——
Tue 1 AM56°56°39°53%3%WNW6 mph8 mph47%1%——
Tue 2 AM55°55°39°55%3%W6 mph8 mph41%1%——
Tue 3 AM55°55°39°55%0%W6 mph8 mph23%——
Tue 4 AM54°54°38°55%0%W6 mph8 mph26%——
Tue 5 AM53°53°38°57%0%W6 mph8 mph31%——
Tue 6 AM53°53°38°57%0%W5 mph7 mph21%——
Tue 7 AM52°52°37°57%0%W3 mph7 mph19%——
Tue 8 AM53°53°37°55%0%W2 mph7 mph12%——
Tue 9 AM58°58°38°48%0%WSW2 mph6 mph8%——
Tue 10 AM64°64°41°43%0%WNW3 mph7 mph7%——
Tue 11 AM66°66°40°39%0%N6 mph9 mph6%——
Tue 12 PM68°68°39°35%0%NE7 mph12 mph3%——
Tue 1 PM71°71°40°32%0%ENE8 mph13 mph7%——
Tue 2 PM71°71°38°30%0%ENE8 mph14 mph14%——
Tue 3 PM70°70°36°29%1%E8 mph15 mph15%——
Tue 4 PM70°70°36°29%0%ESE7 mph12 mph13%——
Tue 5 PM69°69°36°30%0%SSW5 mph9 mph12%——
Tue 6 PM65°65°37°36%0%WSW3 mph7 mph10%——
Tue 7 PM64°64°37°36%0%WSW3 mph7 mph16%——
Tue 8 PM59°59°34°39%0%WSW3 mph7 mph16%——
Tue 9 PM59°59°35°40%0%WSW6 mph9 mph5%——
Tue 10 PM57°57°33°40%0%WSW6 mph9 mph8%——
Tue 11 PM57°57°33°40%0%WSW6 mph9 mph9%——
Wed 12 AM57°57°32°39%0%SW5 mph8 mph13%——
Wed 1 AM57°57°31°37%0%SW5 mph8 mph13%——
Wed 2 AM56°56°30°37%0%SW5 mph8 mph13%——
Wed 3 AM57°57°30°36%0%WSW5 mph7 mph17%——
Wed 4 AM56°56°31°39%0%WSW5 mph7 mph17%——
Wed 5 AM55°55°31°40%0%WSW5 mph7 mph17%——
Wed 6 AM54°54°30°40%0%W5 mph7 mph21%——
Wed 7 AM54°54°30°40%0%W5 mph7 mph21%——
Wed 8 AM55°55°30°38%0%W5 mph7 mph21%——
Wed 9 AM58°58°31°35%0%NW6 mph9 mph9%——
Wed 10 AM61°61°33°35%0%NW6 mph9 mph9%——
Wed 11 AM64°64°37°36%0%NW6 mph9 mph9%——
Wed 12 PM66°66°38°36%2%N10 mph15 mph4%——
Wed 1 PM67°67°39°36%2%N10 mph15 mph4%——
Wed 2 PM67°67°38°35%2%N10 mph15 mph4%——
Wed 3 PM66°66°38°35%2%N10 mph17 mph14%2%——
Wed 4 PM65°65°37°36%2%N10 mph17 mph14%2%——
Wed 5 PM63°63°38°39%2%N10 mph17 mph14%2%——
Wed 6 PM61°61°37°41%7%N8 mph14 mph25%2%——
Wed 7 PM59°59°37°43%7%N8 mph14 mph25%2%——
Wed 8 PM58°58°36°44%7%N8 mph14 mph25%2%——
Wed 9 PM57°57°36°46%7%N6 mph12 mph34%1%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 28, 12:32 PM MDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 11, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodaySep 2864°52°Partly Cloudy37%0.01 inwind 8 mph · gusts 18 mph
  2. TueSep 2971°53°Sunny3%wind 8 mph · gusts 15 mph
  3. WedSep 3067°46°Sunny7%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  4. ThuOct 168°50°Sunny9%wind 9 mph · gusts 16 mph
  5. FriOct 277°51°Sunny18%0.01 inwind 7 mph · gusts 15 mph
  6. SatOct 367°46°Mostly Sunny17%wind 10 mph · gusts 16 mph
  7. SunOct 470°51°Sunny7%wind 7 mph
  8. MonOct 578°52°Sunny3%wind 8 mph
  9. TueOct 678°52°National Blend6%wind 9 mph
  10. WedOct 775°52°National Blend4%wind 7 mph
  11. ThuOct 878°53°National Blend6%wind 7 mph
  12. FriOct 9~61°44°Model mean
  13. SatOct 10~66°46°Model mean
  14. SunOct 11~61°48°Model mean
  15. MonOct 12~53°40°Model mean
  16. TueOct 13~49°38°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like56°
  • WindW 6 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity56%
  • Dew point41°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility—
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset · set
  • Moonrise7:31 PMMoonset 9:29 AM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous95% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 28, 6:00 PM MDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodaySep 28—50°NWS grid 64° / 52°rain 9%wind 3 mph
  2. TueSep 2975°52°NWS grid 71° / 53°rain 1%wind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  3. WedSep 3072°46°NWS grid 67° / 46°rain 9%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  4. ThuOct 171°49°NWS grid 68° / 50°rain 14%wind 9 mph · gusts 16 mph
  5. FriOct 276°51°NWS grid 77° / 51°rain 21%0.01 inwind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  6. SatOct 368°47°NWS grid 67° / 46°rain 10%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  7. SunOct 473°52°NWS grid 70° / 51°rain 2%wind 7 mph
  8. MonOct 579°55°NWS grid 78° / 52°rain 2%wind 8 mph
  9. TueOct 678°52°Beyond the NWS gridrain 6%wind 9 mph
  10. WedOct 775°52°Beyond the NWS gridrain 4%wind 7 mph
  11. ThuOct 878°53°Beyond the NWS gridrain 6%wind 7 mph
  12. FriOct 978°—Beyond the NWS gridrain 4%wind 8 mph
41°59°77°TueWedThuFriSatSunMon

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 28, 6:00 PM MDT · GFS Sep 28, 12:00 PM MDT · GEFS Sep 28, 12:00 PM MDT · ECMWF Sep 28, 6:00 AM MDT · ECMWF AI Sep 28, 6:00 AM MDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

32°55°77°TueWedThuFriSatSunMon

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Sep 2864° 52°0.01 in60° 52°~58° 49°0.03 in~60° 49°0.03 in55° 44°0.29 in~53° 44°0.07 in
Tue Sep 2971° 53°70° 51°64° 44°65° 45°60° 41°~60° 40°
Wed Sep 3067° 46°67° 53°61° 45°62° 46°58° 46°~62° 44°0.01 in
Thu Oct 168° 50°—58° 38°57° 40°56° 39°0.23 in~56° 40°0.02 in
Fri Oct 277° 51°0.01 in—63° 38°65° 42°0.04 in63° 41°0.01 in~58° 40°
Sat Oct 367° 46°—51° 39°55° 41°0.04 in61° 45°~52° 42°0.08 in
Sun Oct 470° 51°—60° 41°61° 40°~65° 46°~56° 36°
Mon Oct 578° 52°—67° 48°71° 49°~68° 49°~67° 44°
Tue Oct 6——56° 39°0.01 in67° 50°0.01 in~68° 49°~64° 50°0.07 in
Wed Oct 7——55° 36°60° 44°0.02 in~59° 49°~56° 40°
Thu Oct 8——60° 46°~62° 45°0.02 in~62° 44°~67° 46°
Fri Oct 9——~61° 44°—~67° 45°~55° 43°
Sat Oct 10——~69° 52°—~69° 46°~59° 40°
Sun Oct 11——~63° 51°—~53° 47°~66° 45°
Mon Oct 12——~37° 35°0.02 in—~67° 41°~55° 43°
Tue Oct 13——~49° 38°—~49° 49°~37° 35°

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Sheridan Co. Airport (SHR) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Tue Oct 13, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean70%70%equal chances33% chance above normal · Oct to Dec-40°-20°0°20°40°60°80°100°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normalCPC near normal or equal chances

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 2869° / 39°98° (2024)18° (1985)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 562° / 35°91° (2015)5° (2009)70% chance above normal · days 6 to 1050% chance below normal · days 6 to 10
Oct 1261° / 32°88° (2003)11° (1969)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 1959° / 30°89° (2003)-9° (2020)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2652° / 26°84° (1983)-10° (2020)equal chances · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Nov 252° / 24°81° (2020)-9° (1966)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 947° / 19°81° (1999)-22° (1959)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 1644° / 19°74° (2008)-25° (1959)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 2340° / 18°74° (2017)-18° (1985)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 3039° / 15°77° (2021)-30° (1972)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 740° / 15°72° (2020)-30° (1972)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 1437° / 12°68° (1980)-29° (1964)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 2137° / 12°68° (2025)-37° (1983)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

The sun is down, so each rating says which span it is for: tomorrow’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Common coldtomorrowLowmild
  • FlutomorrowLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstomorrowLowmild
  • SunburntomorrowLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • HikingtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • BikingtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • GolftomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • FishingtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • Beach and pooltomorrowVery goodcool
  • CampingtonightIdealfine conditions
  • StargazingtonightPoorpartly cloudy

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • GardeningtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • Outdoor entertainingtomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • Drying laundry outsidetomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • Painting and outdoor projectstomorrowIdealfine conditions
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestomorrowModeratewarm
  • TickstomorrowHighwarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststomorrowModeratewarm

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
MondayPoor8:31 PM to 5:26 AM0 of 8None93%6 mph
TuesdayFair8:29 PM to 5:27 AM9 of 9None87%Good6 mph
WednesdayPoor8:27 PM to 5:29 AM0 of 9None79%8 mph
ThursdayPoor8:25 PM to 5:30 AM0 of 10None70%7 mph
FridayPoor8:23 PM to 5:31 AM0 of 10None60%7 mph
SaturdayPoor8:21 PM to 5:32 AM0 of 10None49%6 mph
SundayPoor8:19 PM to 5:34 AM0 of 10None38%8 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Mon6:33 AM to 6:44 AM6:44 AM to 7:41 AM6:15 PM to 7:11 PM7:11 PM to 7:23 PM
Tue6:34 AM to 6:46 AM6:46 AM to 7:42 AM6:13 PM to 7:10 PM7:10 PM to 7:21 PM
Wed6:36 AM to 6:47 AM6:47 AM to 7:43 AM6:11 PM to 7:08 PM7:08 PM to 7:19 PM
Thu6:37 AM to 6:48 AM6:48 AM to 7:45 AM6:09 PM to 7:06 PM7:06 PM to 7:17 PM
Fri6:38 AM to 6:49 AM6:49 AM to 7:46 AM6:07 PM to 7:04 PM7:04 PM to 7:15 PM
Sat6:39 AM to 6:50 AM6:50 AM to 7:47 AM6:06 PM to 7:02 PM7:02 PM to 7:13 PM
Sun6:40 AM to 6:52 AM6:52 AM to 7:48 AM6:04 PM to 7:00 PM7:00 PM to 7:12 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:02 AM, 92° E
  • SS Sunset 6:54 PM, 268° W
  • MR Moonrise 7:31 PM, 64° ENE
  • MS Moonset 9:29 AM, 292° WNW
  • Waning gibbous, 95% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: fly with caution (night: lighting and night training required (107.29)). Next good stretch: Tue 8 AM to 6 PM, 10 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:32 AM to sunrise 7:02 AM, and sunset 6:54 PM to 7:24 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Mon
Tue12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Mon 10 PMCaution614166%56°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Mon 11 PMNo-fly623256%56°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 12 AMCaution623243%56°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 1 AMNo-fly623253%56°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 2 AMNo-fly623253%55°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 3 AMNo-fly623250%55°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 4 AMNo-fly623250%54°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 5 AMNo-fly623250%53°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 6 AMCaution518210%53°wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 7 AMCaution3480%52°civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Tue 8 AMGood2370%53°nothing against it
Tue 9 AMGood2360%58°nothing against it
Tue 10 AMGood3480%64°nothing against it
Tue 11 AMGood67100%66°nothing against it
Tue 12 PMGood78130%68°nothing against it
Tue 1 PMGood810140%71°nothing against it
Tue 2 PMGood810150%71°nothing against it
Tue 3 PMGood810171%70°nothing against it
Tue 4 PMGood79130%70°nothing against it
Tue 5 PMGood56110%69°nothing against it
Tue 6 PMCaution3480%65°civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Tue 7 PMCaution314170%64°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 8 PMCaution314170%59°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 9 PMNo-fly623260%59°gusts near or over your limit, wind at 400 ft near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Mon 10 PM to Tue 8 AM 10 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Tue 10 AM to Wed 12 PM 26 hours, some with delta T between 8 and 10 °C
  • Wed 6 PM to Thu 3 PM 21 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Thu 6 PM to Fri 1 PM 19 hours, some with delta T between 8 and 10 °C
  • Fri 9 PM to Sat 12 PM 15 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 6 PM to Sun 6 PM 24 hours, some with delta T between 8 and 10 °C
  • Sun 9 PM to Mon 12 PM 15 hours, some with delta T between 8 and 10 °C
Mon
Tue12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
MondayShowers possible37%0.01 in43%8 mph
TuesdayDry1%0.00 in29%8 mph7 dGood
WednesdayDry7%0.00 in35%10 mph6 dGood
ThursdayDry9%0.00 in37%9 mph5 dGood
FridayDry18%0.01 in24%7 mph4 dGood
SaturdayDry13%0.00 in34%10 mph3 dGood
SundayDry4%0.00 in31%6 mph2 dGood
MondayDry3%0.00 in21%7 mph1 dGood

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Monday, rated good.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Mon Good1:10 AM to 3:10 AM1:35 PM to 3:35 PM8:59 AM to 9:59 AM7:01 PM to 8:01 PM 95%7:02 AM, 6:54 PM
Tue Good2:02 AM to 4:02 AM2:30 PM to 4:30 PM10:18 AM to 11:18 AM7:33 PM to 8:33 PM 89%7:03 AM, 6:52 PM
Wed Poor2:58 AM to 4:58 AM3:28 PM to 5:28 PM11:38 AM to 12:38 PM8:13 PM to 9:13 PM 82%7:05 AM, 6:50 PM
Thu Fair3:59 AM to 5:59 AM4:30 PM to 6:30 PM12:53 PM to 1:53 PM9:05 PM to 10:05 PM 73%7:06 AM, 6:48 PM
Fri Fair5:01 AM to 7:01 AM5:33 PM to 7:33 PM1:57 PM to 2:57 PM10:10 PM to 11:10 PM 63%7:07 AM, 6:46 PM
Sat Fair6:04 AM to 8:04 AM6:34 PM to 8:34 PM2:49 PM to 3:49 PM11:25 PM to 12:25 AM 53%7:08 AM, 6:44 PM
Sun Fair7:03 AM to 9:03 AM7:32 PM to 9:32 PM3:29 PM to 4:29 PM 42%7:09 AM, 6:43 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. Tonight52° · 6% · WNW 6 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. West northwest wind around 6 mph.

  2. Tuesday71° · 1% · NNW 2–8 mph

    Sunny. High near 71, with temperatures falling to around 69 in the afternoon. North northwest wind 2 to 8 mph.

  3. Tuesday Night53° · WSW 6 mph

    Mostly clear. Low around 53, with temperatures rising to around 55 overnight. West southwest wind around 6 mph.

  4. Wednesday67° · 2% · NNW 5–10 mph

    Sunny. High near 67, with temperatures falling to around 63 in the afternoon. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

  5. Wednesday Night46° · 7% · N 3–8 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind 3 to 8 mph.

  6. Thursday68° · 9% · SE 5–9 mph

    Sunny. High near 68, with temperatures falling to around 64 in the afternoon. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph.

  7. Thursday Night50° · 6% · SW 7 mph

    Partly cloudy. Low around 50, with temperatures rising to around 52 overnight. Southwest wind around 7 mph.

  8. Friday77° · 9% · S 7 mph

    Sunny. High near 77, with temperatures falling to around 72 in the afternoon. South wind around 7 mph.

  9. Friday Night51° · 18% · W 2–7 mph

    A slight chance of rain showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. West wind 2 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

  10. Saturday67° · 13% · NNW 7–10 mph

    Mostly sunny. High near 67, with temperatures falling to around 62 in the afternoon. North northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

  11. Saturday Night46° · 7% · S 6 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 46. South wind around 6 mph.

  12. Sunday70° · 4% · SE 6 mph

    Sunny. High near 70, with temperatures falling to around 67 in the afternoon. Southeast wind around 6 mph.

  13. Sunday Night51° · 1% · S 2–8 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind 2 to 8 mph.

  14. Monday78° · 2% · NW 7 mph

    Sunny. High near 78, with temperatures falling to around 73 in the afternoon. Northwest wind around 7 mph.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Billings, MT · issued Sep 28, 6:08 PM MDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

A few showers and thunderstorms (mainly mountains and far southeast MT) into early this evening.

Mild and mostly dry weather pattern prevails Tuesday through the weekend.

Discussion

Through next Monday...

Satellite imagery shows splitting trof moving slowly thru western/central MT. 300mb jet divergence continues to produce some light showers which are moving west-to-east across southern portions of our forecast area. Drying/clearing has already occurred over our west, but given the trof axis is still to our west there should be some mainly mountain showers develop in the late afternoon and early evening. High res models seem consistent here. Freezing levels support snow showers above 11.5kft, so the highest peaks of the Beartooths could see a little wet snow. A potentially more impactful item to watch over the next few hours is whether or not any strong t-storms develop near the Dakotas border. Mesoanalysis shows increasing (but very capped) instability, with mlcapes exceeding 1000 j/kg in Fallon/Carter. However, a shift to much drier west winds is rapidly approaching and thus, all cams show stronger convection developing east of the Montana state line later this afternoon. In fact, SPC's day1 outlook shows a marginal risk of severe t-storms over the Black Hills. Ascent with the upstream wave continues thru 00z, so this is something to watch.

Downslope gradients tighten somewhat in our west tonight, so look for developing breezy conditions along the western foothills. This will translate to breezy conditions Tuesday with temps getting well into the 70s.

Otherwise, we are entering a drier/quieter weather pattern under W/NW flow aloft tomorrow thru the weekend. There will be a series of weak shortwaves tracking near the MT/Canada border that will allow for periodic modest pushes of cooler Canadian air (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday into Saturday). It is possible that light precip will be associated with some of these weak frontal pushes, mainly north of the southern foothills, and this is a source of model uncertainty at this time. Temperatures are likely to fluctuate between near normal and warmer than normal.

Overwhelming ensemble consensus is for building heights by the end of the week and into next week, due to a strengthening ridge anchored to our west. This could keep us prone to periodic backdoor "cooling" but the high height regime definitely favors above normal temps and dry conditions moving into early next week.

For those looking for a dose of winter as we move into early October, that is not in the cards yet. There is high confidence for above normal temps and below normal precip through the first third of the month, per western CONUS ridging. Cooler air will be over the eastern half of the country. The Pacific tropics remain quite active and should be monitored as well.

JKL

Aviation

00Z discussion.

Isolated showers and weak thunderstorms will continue to decrease this evening, with skies becoming mostly clear overnight. Breezy west winds develop over the west, including KLVM, K6S0, and K3HT, tonight and spread east through the morning. The strongest winds of 25 to 35 kts are expected from KBIL west. Archer

Preliminary Point Temp / Pops

Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon ----------------------------------------------------------- BIL 047/077 049/073 045/068 047/074 049/066 044/068 047/077 00/N 00/U 00/U 01/B 20/B 10/B 00/B LVM 039/075 043/072 038/071 043/076 043/068 038/071 043/078 10/U 00/U 00/U 01/B 21/U 10/U 00/U HDN 043/079 046/073 043/070 044/075 047/067 042/070 044/078 00/U 00/U 00/U 01/B 31/B 10/U 00/U MLS 046/077 049/072 044/066 046/073 049/066 043/067 046/074 00/U 00/U 00/B 00/B 21/B 00/U 00/U 4BQ 047/078 049/073 046/069 048/075 050/066 044/068 047/076 10/U 00/U 00/B 00/B 21/U 00/U 00/U BHK 046/078 048/072 040/064 042/073 045/066 038/064 042/073 20/U 00/U 00/B 01/B 21/B 00/U 00/U SHR 040/077 042/072 040/071 042/076 044/067 039/069 042/077 20/U 00/U 11/U 11/U 21/U 10/U 00/U

BYZ Watches / Warnings / Advisories

MT...None. WY...None.

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Mon Sep 28No risk area
  2. Day 2 · Tue Sep 29No risk area
  3. Day 3 · Wed Sep 30No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Thu Oct 1No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Sat Oct 3No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Mon Oct 5No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Mon Sep 28Under 0.01 in
  2. Day 2 · Tue Sep 29Under 0.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Wed Sep 30Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 1–Oct 2Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 3–Oct 4Under 0.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature70% chance above normalOct 4–Oct 8
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation50% chance below normalOct 4–Oct 8
  3. Days 8–14 · Temperature70% chance above normalOct 6–Oct 12
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 6–Oct 12

Drought

  1. Drought Monitor, map of Sep 22D2 Severe drought
  2. Outlook for Sep 2026Drought persists

Drought in this county: the map, the record since 2000 and the outlook

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Story

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around May 24 and the first fall freeze around September 23: a growing season of about 120 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 8; one spring in ten still has one after June 9.

Climate of 44.60, -106.93: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 23 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementMonTueWedThuFriSatSunMon
HeatRisk max0 · Little1 · Minor0 · Little0 · Little1 · Minor0 · Little0 · Little1 · Minor
Wet bulb globe temperature max57°63°60°60°66°59°62°66°
Heat index max71°76°70°77°
Wind chill min45°44°
Chance of thunder max10%1%2%4%5%5%7%3%
Snow level min11,200 ft10,300 ft10,600 ft10,300 ft10,900 ft9,900 ft9,800 ft10,400 ft
Mixing height max3,100 ft5,400 ft5,600 ft4,200 ft
Transport wind max10 mph8 mph12 mph10 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Sheridan Co. Airport (SHR) · 12 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Mon Sep 2864° / 52°72° / 39°93° (2024)19° (1984)
Tue Sep 2971° / 53°73° / 40°98° (2024)20° (1984)
Wed Sep 3067° / 46°73° / 41°91° (1963)18° (1985)
Thu Oct 168° / 50°69° / 39°93° (2011)22° (1985)
Fri Oct 277° / 51°67° / 37°89° (1992)25° (1964)
Sat Oct 367° / 46°64° / 36°89° (1992)20° (2014)
Sun Oct 470° / 51°62° / 35°91° (1963)22° (2017)
Mon Oct 578° / 52°61° / 35°89° (2021)18° (1952)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Mon6:33 AM7:02 AM6:54 PM7:23 PM11 h 52 min Waning gibbous · 95% lit
Tue6:34 AM7:03 AM6:52 PM7:21 PM11 h 49 min Waning gibbous · 89% lit
Wed6:36 AM7:05 AM6:50 PM7:19 PM11 h 45 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu6:37 AM7:06 AM6:48 PM7:17 PM11 h 42 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri6:38 AM7:07 AM6:46 PM7:15 PM11 h 39 min Waning gibbous · 63% lit
Sat6:39 AM7:08 AM6:44 PM7:13 PM11 h 36 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun6:40 AM7:09 AM6:43 PM7:12 PM11 h 34 min Last quarter · 42% lit
Mon6:42 AM7:11 AM6:41 PM7:10 PM11 h 30 min Waning crescent · 32% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from