BOZEMAN – Short term forecast is centered around wildfire smoke and the potential for new wildfire starts.
The most hazardous weather feature today is thick wildfire smoke blanketing Montana and much of the Pacific NW. There is an “AIR QUALITY ALERT“ up through Tuesday morning. This means you should try and limit your exposure to the unhealthy wildfire smoke outdoors as much as possible.
As of 1 pm Monday most reporting stations in SW Montana fell somewhere in the unhealthy air quality rating range.
Unfortunately, wildfire smoke is expected for several days and it will continue to impact air quality across SW Montana.
Next, is a dry cold front dropping into Montana from the North. This will produce gusty winds Monday afternoon and early evening.
RED FLAG WARNINGS are in effect through 9 pm this evening across SW Montana. The combination of warm, dry, and windy weather will produce extreme and erratic fire behavior. Small fires can grow quickly out-of-control. Please avoid starting campfires, working with equipment outdoors in or near tall grasses, don’t park vehicles in tall grasses, check safety chains on towing units to make sure they aren’t dragging on the ground.
The overall weather pattern will remain mostly dry through Tuesday afternoon and temperatures will be near to slightly above normal levels.
