Billings expected to hit 90 degrees on Wednesday, could raise river levels

An upswing in temperatures Wednesday will have Billings residents knocking the dust off their AC units early this year.

A weather system dominating the intermountain region of the United States is expected to bring potentially record-breaking highs this week, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

Temps in the Billings area likely to eclipse 90 degrees for the first time in 2026.

“Ninety degrees isn’t that impressive for most folks in Billings,” said NWS Meteorologist William McKeown-Robbie, “but with how early we’re seeing it, it could be impactful. People with outdoor jobs should be mindful to hydrate and sunscreen and do all the things they’re used to doing in June, just a month early.”

Come Wednesday, a swath of central and southeastern Montana will have temperatures at or above 90 degrees, according to the NWS. The record high in Billings for May 13 is 94 degrees, which was set in 2013. The current forecast for tomorrow’s high is 93 degrees. Coinciding with that unseasonable heat, McKeown-Robbie said, is the potential for winds gusting up to 40 or 50 mph, especially along the Interstate 90 corridor near Livingston.

With the spike in temperatures and high winds, McKeown-Robbie said NWS is monitoring conditions in the Billings area for the potential for fire, but the region is green enough from recent precipitation that the threat of wildfires is low. So far this year, Billings has received about 2.4 inches of rainfall, about half of what it normally sees by May 11.

Rivers and streams in the region may rise with snowmelt from lower elevations. The flows of the Yellowstone and Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone could double by the end of the week, according to NWS. While there is not threat of flooding, that water will be running fast and cold. As of Tuesday, the Yellowstone River was flowing at just under 5 feet past Billings, according to measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey, and could reach as high as 6.5 feet by this weekend.

A paltry snowpack for much of the state is expected to have negative impacts on waterways across Montana that depend on snowmelt to keep them fed through the late spring and summer. A May report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service showed all of the state’s river basins below their normal levels of snow-water equivalent, according to reporting from the Montana State News Bureau.

For Billings, temps will cool going into the weekend, McKeown-Robbie said. Along with the potential for showers and thunderstorms, McKeown-Robbie said the forecast currently has highs returning to normal for this time of the year, which is in the mid-60s.