A Typical Memorial Day Forecast featuring sun, clouds, and scattered showers

MISSOULA — Happy Saturday!
The first day of our long weekend featured a good deal of cloud cover and below average temperatures in most locations, however the trend is going to be for warmer temperatures as we move into the middle and second half of next week, and we’ll see more sunshine, as well.
As for your Sunday forecast, expect a mix of sun and clouds with afternoon highs warming into the lower to middle 60s for most. We may see a few high elevation showers develop during the afternoon, but showers are expected to stay confined to the mountains.
Memorial Day will bring more clouds than sun, with scattered showers, mainly in northwest Montana. It will by no means be a washout, and temperatures will reach the mid 60s to lower 70s in most towns, so spending the afternoon outdoors should be a good idea. Just be prepared for a few passing raindrops in some locations.
We’ll start are warmup in earnest on Tuesday, as an upper level ridge moves inland. The sky will feature a mix of sun and clouds with a few isolated showers. Afternoon highs will reach the lower to middle 70s.
By Wednesday, we’ll see a mostly sunny sky areawide with afternoon highs soaring into the middle to upper 70s.
Thursday, and then again on Friday, we’ll see the warmest temperatures we’ve seen since late last summer. Expect a mostly sunny sky on Thursday with afternoon highs climbing into the upper 70s to middle 80s, with most falling between 80 and 85.
Weather models have ramped up their projections for highs on Friday and Saturday. As it stands, it is a safe bet that afternoon highs will reach the middle to upper 80s at least in most locations. For the Missoula Valley, the Bitterroot Valley, and parts of northwest Montana, lower 90s are quite possible. I have a forecasted high of 90 on Friday for Missoula under a mostly sunny sky.
Saturday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of an isolated late day thunderstorm. Once again, we’ll see highs ranging from the middle 80s to lower 90s areawide.
Have a wonderful Sunday!