Southwest Montana Braces for Smoke and Heat Before Late-Week Rain Chance

Overview

• Southwest Montana is currently hot, dry and smoky with afternoon winds of about 10 to 25 mph that keep fire danger elevated and push smoke into valleys where air quality can become unhealthy for sensitive people.
• A midweek pattern change will bring cooler air and increasing monsoonal moisture that should produce isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms across the region.
• Late-week passage of a stronger trough is forecast to create the wettest window of the week with many locations likely to see measurable rain that could help drought and reduce fire risk.
• A ridge is expected to rebuild by the weekend, restoring warmer, drier weather while leaving a chance of isolated storms and lingering smoke that could continue to affect visibility and health.
• Public-health and fire agencies urge residents to monitor local air quality indexes, limit outdoor exposure when AQI is poor, use respirators when recommended, and follow local fire advisories as smoke from larger Pacific Northwest fires continues to drift into the region.