High Wind Watch: 60+ MPH for Eastern Montana Until Friday Morning

The entire state of Montana has been windy for days. But the eastern half of the state is getting a double whammy of high winds AND Fire Weather Watches for several counties. Dangerous conditions exist until at least Thursday night.

• HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.
• WHAT...West to northwest winds 30 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible.
• WHERE...Portions of central, south central, and southeast Montana. Portions of north central Wyoming.
• WHEN...From Thursday afternoon through late Thursday night.
• IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible.
• Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
• Low humidity in combination with strong winds will cause fire weather concerns as well.
• Be careful to not cause a spark.
• FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.
• WHEN: in effect from Thursday morning through Thursday evening.
• IMPACTS: Low humidity, hot temperatures, strong gusty winds, and wind shift with a cold front, will create erratic fire behavior.
• COUNTIES AFFECTED: In Central MT...Golden Valley...Musselshell. In North Central WY...Sheridan. In Northwest SD...Harding. In South Central MT...Big Horn...Carbon...Yellowstone. In Southeast MT...Carter...Custer...Fallon...Powder River Rosebud...Treasure.
• HUMIDITY: 12 to 18 percent.
• TEMPERATURES: Highs in the upper 80s to mid 90s.
• WIND: West 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.
• COLD FRONT: Cold front will push through Thursday afternoon and evening and switch winds to the northwest.
• A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur.

So many counties are under one or more weather alert through Thursday evening. Take extra care when driving through these area or recreating in the backcountry. Never leave a fire unattended and extinguish them completely when you leave. Do not throw cigarette butts out of car windows, even if you think they're extinguished.

The fire risk is very high due to warm temperatures and low humidity. Add in these extremely gusty winds and we've got a recipe for disaster. Be careful out there!