Montana Weather Update: Rain, Cooler Temps & Why El Niño Could Change Summer 2026

Montana is finally seeing some much-needed moisture, but what does it mean for the rest of summer? In this week's Weather Wednesday, Jason Laird breaks down recent rainfall across Montana, current drought conditions, and a series of weather systems bringing additional chances for showers and thunderstorms through the end of the week. We'll also discuss: Recent moisture and drought improvements Cooler temperatures moving into Montana Showers Wednesday night through Thursday Stronger storm potential on Friday Additional moisture into Saturday Warming temperatures expected next week Why forecasting has been challenging this year The growing El Niño signal and what it could mean for Montana's summer weather outlook While recent conditions have been cooler and wetter than expected, ocean temperatures continue to point toward a significant El Niño influence that could still favor hotter and drier conditions later this summer. Subscribe for weekly Montana weather updates, forecasts, and long-range outlooks.