Montana
Possible northern lights viewing in Montana this weekend • Daily Montanan
There’s a good chance you’ll be able to see the northern lights Friday evening into Saturday morning, with the Space Weather Prediction Center forecasting this could be the strongest geomagnetic storm since 2003.
Aurora borealis, also known as polar or northern lights, can typically be seen in higher latitudes. Large geomagnetic storms are linked to solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which the center explains are when around a billion tons of plasma from the sun arrive at Earth with its embedded magnetic field.
The center describes auroras as the only way most humans can observe space weather.
The National Weather Service in Billings and Great Falls said on social media there was a good chance of seeing the northern lights with forecasted clear skies and temps in the 30s and 40s.
The Great Falls NWS said the best time for viewing the aurora is between 10 p.m. Friday night and 2 a.m. Saturday morning, but could be possible any time between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. The NWS recommended getting away from city lights, looking north and being patient.
The center said at least seven earth-directed CMEs are in transit as part of a severe G4 geomagnetic storm, which is second strongest category under extreme G5 storms. The last time the center has been on watch for a storm this strong was in 2005, and the last occurrence was in 2003.
There may be technical issues from the storm, including GPS and power grid interruptions, but the center said critical infrastructure operators have been alerted.
The source of the storm is a large sunspot cluster 16 times the diameter of the earth, according to the center.
For short-term, 30-minute forecasts from the center, go to: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing
24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 11 drawing
16-19-22-34-46, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 11 drawing
21-22-26-31, Bonus: 04
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 11 drawing
09-13-34-42-59, Powerball: 01
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 11 drawing
42-45-46-48-56, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Montana
Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan
Ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary began to hit voters’ mailboxes this weekend.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, 509,399 absentee ballots were mailed to voters. As of Monday morning, 358 voters had already returned their ballots.
“Montana’s 2026 Primary Election is well underway, and the Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters,” Secretary of state Christi Jacobsen said in a press release. “As a reminder, Montanans can view their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot, confirm their voter registration information, and much more at VoteMT.gov.”
Voted ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2nd.
The Montana Election Team reminds absentee voters to sign, date, and add their birth year when returning their absentee ballot. County election officials provide instructions in the ballot packet, and more information is also available online at https://votemt.gov/absentee-ballot/.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 10 drawing
06-22-28-31, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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