Today's Forecast:
Southwest Montana will stay hot, dry and smoky today with widespread sunshine filtered through wildfire haze. Air quality concerns continue across much of the region, especially during the morning and overnight hours when smoke settles into the valleys. Southwest to west winds will increase this afternoon between 10 and 20 mph, creating breezy conditions and maintaining elevated fire danger through the day.
BOZEMAN: High: 89; Low: 52. Mostly sunny with smoky and hazy conditions continuing throughout the day. Southwest to west winds increase this afternoon to 10 to 20 mph with occasional gusts over 25 mph possible. Air quality may become unhealthy for sensitive groups at times. Warm and dry conditions continue tonight with lingering smoke.
BUTTE: High: 87; Low: 45. Sunny skies mixed with persistent smoke and haze. West winds strengthen this afternoon to 10 to 20 mph, producing breezy conditions through the evening hours. Reduced visibility and poor air quality remain possible, especially this morning and again overnight.
DILLON: High: 89; Low: 49. Hot, dry and smoky with mostly sunny skies. West-southwest winds increase to 10 to 20 mph this afternoon with occasional gusts approaching 30 mph in open areas. Air quality concerns continue through the day as wildfire smoke lingers across the valleys and grasslands.
WEST YELLOWSTONE: High: 85; Low: 40. Mostly sunny with hazy skies from ongoing wildfire smoke. Southwest winds increase this afternoon to 10 to 20 mph with gusts near 25 mph possible. Dry weather continues tonight with cool overnight temperatures and smoky conditions lingering into the evening.
Cooler with rain to wrap up the week
After several more hot, dry and smoky days, a pattern change is expected late this week as cooler air moves into southwest Montana. Increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms arrive by Thursday into Friday, with periods of gusty winds and locally heavier rainfall possible. Highs will drop into the 60s and 70s with several rain chances. While fire danger will remain elevated through midweek, cooler temperatures and higher moisture levels could bring some improvement to air quality and fire weather conditions heading into the weekend and give crews a chance for fire containment on a few of our local fires.
