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BILLINGS — Winds reaching above 70 miles per hour swept through Billings Thursday, leaving residents dealing with downed trees, damaged vehicles, bent streetlamps and power outages across the city.

Piper Gershmel was among those caught off guard when a tree fell on her car near Billings Senior High School, bringing a streetlamp down with it.

"I was in shock," Gershmel, a sophomore and recent state champion wrestler at Senior, said Thursday.

Watch Billings residents talk about the damages:

Gershmel said she first learned of the damage through a text.

"He sent me a video, and it was the wind that had blown the tree on it. And then I saw the pole had also gotten bent on it," Gershmel said.

The scene left her struggling to make sense of what she was seeing.

"There's — like literally I texted the kid. I was like, 'There's no way the wind did that. I don't believe that. There's no way it would break a metal pole.' I was like, 'You're kidding,'" Gershmel said.

It wasn't until she saw the footage more closely that the picture became clearer.

"I was confused on how the wind bent the pole until I saw that the pole was behind the tree, and it came down with the tree," Gershmel said.

The damage wasn't limited to one neighborhood. Just down the street, the newly installed bronzed statues of a buffalo herd at Doc Holiday's Roadhouse at 760 20th St. W. was knocked to the ground by the wind. They were cleared away from a front-end loader.

Up in the Heights, Jamie Rindahl said the storm caught her attention immediately.

"It was a shock, but this wind is pretty intense," Rindahl said.

Rindahl, who has lived in Billings for more than 15 years, said she had never seen anything like it.

"This wind is very insane. I've not really seen anything like this," Rindahl said.

One of her trees came down during the storm — a loss she said hit hard.

"It was very sad to see that one come down," Rindahl said.

Now, she is focused on cleaning up.

"They're just going to have to cut it off the fence, repair the fence, and maybe use the rest of it for wood for a fire pit," Rindahl said.

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BILLINGS — We are entering a very robust weather pattern, with strong winds on Thursday, followed by a chance for heavy, wet snow through Saturday night.

High Wind Warnings are in effect for the area through Thursday evening as potentially damaging winds move through. Possible gusts:

Impacts may include damage to roofs, fences, and trees, with the potential for power outages. Use caution while commuting throughout the day. Consider delaying travel if you drive a high-profile vehicle, such as a big rig, box truck, etc. Grass fires will also be a concern, so please avoid activities that could cause sparks! A cold front will help ease the winds as the evening progresses.

After the winds die down, our next weather story will be the potential for winter storm conditions through Saturday night into early Sunday. An atmospheric river will pump ample moisture into the area, bringing a prolonged period of snow. Winter Storm Warnings, Watches, and Advisories will be in effect for much of the region during this period. Roads, particularly bridges and overpasses, are likely to become slick and dangerous. Travel may be extremely difficult or even impossible.

Here is a more detailed look at possible snow accumulations:

Alzada, MT: 3–7" (up to 8")Baker, MT: 2–6" (up to 8")Big Timber, MT: 1–5" (up to 13")Billings, MT: 3–8" (up to 13")Broadus, MT: 2–5" (up to 10")Burgess Junction, WY: 7–20" (up to 24")Clearmont, WY: 2–6" (up to 9")Columbus, MT: 4–6" (up to 15")Cooke City, MT: 7–33" (up to 40")Crow Agency, MT: 4–8" (up to 14")Daisy Pass, MT: 9–36" (up to 43")Dayton, WY: 3–8" (up to 13")Ekalaka, MT: 2–7" (up to 9")Forsyth, MT: 2–8" (up to 11")Gardiner, MT: Trace–1" (up to 5")Harlowton, MT: 3–16" (up to 20")Hysham, MT: 2–10" (up to 12")Lame Deer, MT: 4–9" (up to 18")Livingston, MT: 1–2" (up to 9")Lodge Grass, MT: 4–9" (up to 16")Miles City, MT: 1–6" (up to 8")Ranchester, WY: 3–7" (up to 13")Red Lodge, MT: 5–8" (up to 15")Roundup, MT: 5–14" (up to 17")Sheridan, WY: 2–7" (up to 11")Story, WY: 3–9" (up to 13")

This will be heavy, wet snow, and it could fall steadily through the warning and watch periods. Between 0.50 and 1.50 inches of total moisture could fall, which is much needed as we head into the spring and summer months when wildfire concerns will be high.

Another 1 to 3 inches of snow could fall on Sunday into Monday, impacting the Monday morning commute.

The cold front will also cool daytime highs down into the 20s and 30s (maybe warmer in some locations) across the weekend, before warming back into the 60s and lower 70s by the middle of next week. The snow is expected to melt quickly, but no flooding issues are anticipated.

Miller RobsonQ2 Morning Meteorologistmiller.robson@ktvq.com

Copyright 2026 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Billings, MT – West wind gusts up to 65 mph are expected across parts of south-central Montana through midnight Sunday.

According to the National Weather Service in Billings, a High Wind Warning remains in effect until midnight MDT for Golden Valley, Musselshell, and Northern Stillwater counties, including the communities of Absarokee, Columbus, Lavina, Ryegate, and Roundup.

Forecasters say sustained strong winds and powerful gusts could create dangerous crosswinds for drivers, particularly along Highway 12 between Harlowton and Roundup, where open terrain can intensify wind impacts.

High-profile vehicles such as semitrailers, campers, and delivery trucks may experience the greatest difficulty maintaining lane control. Transportation officials often see increased travel hazards on exposed stretches of highway during wind events of this magnitude.

The weather service also warned that warm and dry conditions combined with strong winds could allow fires in grasslands to spread rapidly. Residents are urged to use caution with any outdoor burning activities and avoid actions that could spark fires in dry vegetation.

Officials recommend securing loose outdoor items such as trash bins, patio furniture, and temporary structures, which can become airborne during strong wind gusts.

Drivers traveling through the region Sunday should consider postponing travel, slowing speeds, or taking alternate routes where possible until winds weaken later tonight.

For younger drivers, students, and commuters using rural highways, sudden gusts may cause vehicles to drift unexpectedly, making extra caution important.

The warning is expected to expire at midnight MDT Sunday, though breezy conditions may continue into early Monday in some areas.

Residents can monitor updated alerts and forecasts through the National Weather Service and local emergency management agencies.

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