Q2 Billings Area Weather: Windy Thursday, followed by snow and then cold

Wind, snow, and then a period of cold weather adds up to a sharp departure from our recent relatively quiet weather pattern.

Thursday and Thursday night, the strongest winds will be along the western foothills from Big Timber to Harlowton. Gusts could reach 65 mph in the morning. Widespread winds of 40+ mph will blow into the eastern plains through the day.

Widespread snow will move into our region late Thursday through at least Saturday morning. Areas to the east and south of Billings could see some heavy snowfall with little to no accumulation in much of the eastern plains.

The coldest temperatures since December arrive this weekend, with highs only in the single digits by Sunday. This will be a big change from what we've seen recently.