MISSOULA — We’re looking at a hot and mostly dry start to the week, with a noticeable shift in the weather by Thursday.
Watch the forecast:
High pressure is building in today and Tuesday, which means temperatures will be climbing.
Expect Tuesday to be the hottest day of the week with highs in the low 90s across Western Montana and pushing into the low 100s in parts of central Idaho. That’s about 10 degrees warmer than normal for early July.
Most spots will stay dry, but there’s a slight chance of a few thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon, especially in southwest Montana and Lemhi County. If storms do pop up, they could bring some gusty winds.
Wednesday looks like a transition day. The high pressure starts to weaken as a system approaches from the west. We’ll see breezy southwest winds picking up and warm, dry conditions sticking around. That combo could raise fire weather concerns.
There’s also a chance for some afternoon showers and thunderstorms, mainly near the Canadian border and in southwest Montana.
By Thursday, things cool down and it’ll turn breezy again. Winds from the west could reach up to 30 mph in parts of Northwest Montana.
Forecast models have been leaning toward a wetter setup, with a deeper system possibly bringing more widespread showers. There’s a decent shot—around 20%—that some spots in northwest Montana could see a quarter inch of rain or more.
Looking ahead, high pressure is likely to rebuild by the weekend, bringing back warmer and drier weather.
Watch the 24/7 StormTracker Weather stream below:
