BOZEMAN – Extreme heat is impacting Montana today with widespread record highs. The reason for the extreme heat is a cold front is pushing into the Pacific Northwest and ahead of that front a stronger surge of heat, wind, and isolated thunderstorms.
That combination is producing very high to extreme fire danger across Idaho, Wyoming and all of Montana through midnight Wednesday.
A RED FLAG WARNING is up for SW Montana through midnight. This means you all need to be careful with all outdoor activities as a single spark can start and fire and small fires can grow out of control very quickly.
A HEAT ADVISORY is also up through sunset east of the divide. Forecast highs today are in the mid to upper 90s with a few low 100s possible.
A strong west to SW flow aloft ahead of the cold front is creating thick wildfire smoke and there is an Air Quality Alert up for Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Granite and Beaverhead Counties.
Temperatures will begin to trend downward starting Thursday and continue to fall below normal through Saturday. Friday will be the chilliest temperature day with highs in the 50s and 60s and Saturday morning lows close to freezing for the lower valleys and below freezing for the higher valleys.
