Area to see unhealthy air quality today

Current Situation and Today’s Forecast

The stable conditions over Montana caused another morning of significant air quality impacts near active fires. Air quality in Seeley Lake is HAZARDOUS once again due to the nearby Rice Ridge fire. We are also seeing HAZARDOUS air quality in Lolo and VERY UNHEALTHY air quality in Florence due to the Lolo Peak fire. Air quality in Missoula, Lincoln, and Rainy Lake is UNHEALTHY and increasing this morning. Elsewhere, air quality is UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS in Arlee, Eureka, Superior, and Helena and MODERATE in Drummond, Clearwater, Condon, Hamilton, Butte, Dillon, Bozeman, West Yellowstone, Great Falls, Lewistown, Billings, and Birney.

Expect air quality impacts today to be very similar to yesterday due to the stable atmospheric conditions. Air quality in Missoula, the Seeley-Swan, the Bitterroot, Lincoln, and near the Sapphire Mountains will likely deteriorate for the next several hours before hopefully improving to MODERATE for a few hours later this afternoon. Elsewhere, expect air quality to range from MODERATE to UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS with hazy skies. The stable conditions will cause smoke to settle into the valleys once again tonight, with the worst impacts near active fires.

Extended Forecast

The stable conditions will last through Wednesday, with another morning of HAZARDOUS air quality expected in Seeley Lake and Lolo tomorrow morning and UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS to VERY UNHEALTHY expected in the rest of Missoula, Ravalli and Granite counties. We will also likely see isolated impacts in Arlee, near the Liberty fire, Eureka, near the Gibralter Ridge fire, and Lincoln, near the Park Creek/Arrastra Creek fires. Elsewhere, hazy skies and air quality ranging between MODERATE and UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS is expected through Wednesday night.

A cold front is expected to move through the state on Thursday, bringing another round of erratic winds and possible thunderstorms to the state. Not much precipitation is expected with this system. The result will likely be another day of active to extreme fire behavior on area fires. Smoke plumes by Thursday night will likely travel far into Montana along generally westerly winds. The one benefit to this cold front is it will likely clear out the smoke that will have built up in many valleys by that point. Valleys close to area fires may see a period of GOOD air quality as smoke from fires is lifted up and away Thursday afternoon. Areas further downwind will likely have a smoky night on Thursday.

Any improvement that does occur near active fires will likely not last long. Another ridge of high pressure is expected to build in for the weekend and last through the start of next week. This ridge will cause widespread haze across Montana and significant air quality impacts near active fires as smoke is trapped in the valleys at night.

For up-to-date air quality reports, visit http://svc.mt.gov/deq/todaysair/