Another day of cooler than average temperatures across central and eastern Montana as a ridge of high pressure remains well to our south. Temperatures warm by a few degrees today, with most of the area reaching the mid to upper 70s, still several degrees below normal for mid August.
A pop-up shower or thunderstorm is possible across southwest Montana today, with a better chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms Saturday afternoon and evening. There will be enough moisture available for brief downpours within some of the stronger thunderstorms. Gusty winds and lightning are also a possibility.
For today, air quality across central Montana should remain in the green to yellow categories, indicating healthy air for most groups. Additional smoke from wildfires in California and Oregon might affect air quality in southwest Montana this afternoon. Check AirNow.gov to keep track of air quality where you live.
Looking ahead, a shift to southwest flow will start a warming trend next week, with high temperatures rising back into the 80s, right around seasonal averages for this time of year. Passing disturbances will continue to trigger widely scattered showers and thunderstorms daily throughout the week.
It is *possible* the Aurora Borealis will be out tonight. Here's everything you need to know:
Due to the expected arrival of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, the Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a moderate Geomagnetic Storm Watch (G2) for the next two days. While forecasting space weather is considerably more challenging than predicting local weather, there's a chance that most of Montana will be able to see the northern lights on Friday and Saturday nights.
The ideal viewing hours are typically between 10pm and 2am. For Friday night, mostly clear to partly cloudy skies are anticipated, with the best visibility expected along the Hi-Line. However, Saturday night viewing may be more difficult, as central and eastern Montana is forecasted to see partly to mostly cloudy skies, which could obstruct the view of the northern lights.
