BOZEMAN – A lot of crazy weather to update you on for SW Montana Friday through Sunday.
First, unhealthy air quality conditions continue for SW Montana Thursday. An “AIR QUALITY ALERT” also continues for all of SW Montana through Friday morning and the alert is up for most of western and southern Montana.
Second, a “RED FLAG WARNING” has been issued for SW Montana from 1 pm to 9 pm Friday. This includes the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest.
The combination of above normal temperatures in the low to mid 80s, relative humidity below 20%, and increasing surface winds from the SW 15 to 25 mph and gusts over 30 mph will produce extreme and erratic fire behavior.
Small accidental fires can grow out-of-control in a very short amount of time. Please use extreme caution with outdoor activities Friday.
Third, a Pacific storm will roll into SW Montana beginning Friday night into Saturday. Ahead of this storm on Friday hot, dry and windy conditions but once the storm hits early Saturday morning look for cool, wet, and windy conditions.
Scattered showers, a few slow-moving thunderstorms will impact SW Montana. Some slower moving thunderstorms could produce brief heavy rainfall.
Temperatures will fall into the 50s and 60s Saturday and Sunday with morning lows for most lower valleys down into the 30s.
Lastly, a new high-pressure ridge will rebuild over the region by early next week. This will once again produce warmer than normal temperatures, mostly dry conditions, and look for increasing wildfire smoke.
