Smoke Forecast for Monday, August 5, 2024

August 05 2024

Current Conditions

Cooler temperatures and rain over the weekend helped to temper fire behavior and smoke production on existing wildfires in the region. Up to an inch of rain fell on Sunday in the higher terrain of Western Montana, where several active fires continue to burn.

The Grouse fire burning in the Pioneer Mountains was the most active wildfire in the state for much of last week. It has burned 2,600 acres and is 0% contained.

At 8:00 AM Monday, Libby, Thompson Falls, Columbia Falls, Choteau, Bozeman Great Falls, Hamilton, Cut Bank, Havre, Lewistown, and Broadus were enduring Moderate air quality.

Monday morning’s satellite shows a disturbance moving across the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Widespread fog can be seen over the northern half of the state, where heavy rain fell over the weekend.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

Surface smoke isn’t nearly as widespread across the state as it was a week ago. However, there is still quite a bit of smoke upstream in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. High pressure builds over the Northern Rockies on Monday. It will provide unseasonably warm temperatures for the area. Scattered thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon and evening, but widespread rain is unlikely.

Tuesday is likely the best opportunity for rain this week. There’s even a slight risk of severe storms, with heavy rain, gusty winds, and even some hail possible. Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible over Southwest Montana on Tuesday, which could result in new wildfires down the road.

A trough of low pressure will slide south out of British Columbia by Tuesday night and Wednesday. It will bring much cooler air into the Northern Rockies and provide additional chances for rain. The trough will also bring down surface smoke into Western Montana from fires burning in Western Canada. This smoke could bring deteriorating air quality levels, particularly to Northwest Montana. Stay tuned!

By Tuesday night, the HRRR smoke model shows increasing surface smoke over Northwest Montana from fires burning in Western Canada.

By Tuesday night, the HRRR smoke model shows increasing surface smoke increasing over Northwest Montana from fires burning in Western Canada.

Source: HRRR Smoke

Conditions can change quickly as weather could stimulate active fires and the likelihood of new starts increases. Please keep track of concentrations at todaysair.mtdeq.us or the Fire and Smoke Map.

Currrent Wildfires

Current Wildfires
Incident	State	location	acres	containment
Wolf Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	5 miles west of Donnelly, ID	1,137	4%
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	926	5%
Bulltrout Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	15 miles W-NW OF Stanley, ID	292	41%
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean, ID	205	0%
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	8 miles NE of Oxbow Dam	24,605	5%
Cliff Mountain - IDPAF	Idaho	25 Miles East of Joseph, Oregon	1,108	20%
Bluff Creek Complex - IDIPF	Idaho	The fires are burning along both sides of the Bluff Ridge, approximately 13 1/2 miles southeast of Avery, ID; five and a half miles west from Gold Creek Campground; and approximately two miles northwest of Junction Ridge.	432	NA
2024 Gwen Fire - IDIDS	Idaho	South of Juliaetta Idaho, about 30 miles outside Lewiston near State Highway 3 in Latah County	28,820	90%
Ace Butte - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately 30 miles Southeast of Grangeville, Idaho	64	NA
Anchor - IDNCF	Idaho	About half way between Hanover Mountain and Square Mountain in the Gospel Hump Wilderness	72	NA
Bench Lake Fire - IDSTF	Idaho	8 miles south of Stanley, Idaho	2,595	90%
Shepp - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately 30 miles Southwest of Elk City, Idaho	100	NA
Wye Fire - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately four and a half miles northwest of Freeman Peak and seven miles northeast of the Moose Creek Airstrip	3,500	NA
Oxbow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	Near Oxbow dam in Hells Canyon	6,000	NA
Thunder Fire - IDSCF	Idaho	12 miles south, southwest of Salmon, ID	2,474	50%
Miller Peak Fire - MTLNF	Montana	7 miles southeast of Missoula	2,724	73%
Black Mountain - MTHLF	Montana	6 miles northwest of Lincoln. Mont.	180	0%
Johnson Fire - MTBRF	Montana	3 miles west of the Springer Memorial Community in the East Fork	305	0%
Muir Creek Fire - MTGNP	Montana	20 miles southeast of West Glacier, MT and east of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River	30	0%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	2,395	9%
Badland Complex 2024 - ORVAD	Oregon	Baker County, Oregon	54,563	99%
Telephone Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	16 miles north east of Burns, Oregon	52,130	31%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	1,174	0%
Durkee Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	1 mile west of Durkee, Oregon	294,690	86%
Winding Waters Complex - OR97S	Oregon	23 miles east of Union, OR	752	83%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	2,532	9%
Battle Mountain Complex - OR97S	Oregon	West and south of Ukiah, OR	181,941	36%
Lone Rock Fire - ORPRD	Oregon	Lonerock stretching to west of HWY 207 and south to HWY 19	137,222	92%
Courtrock Fire - OR95S	Oregon	7.1 Miles south of Monument, OR	20,018	57%
Adam Mountain - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 6 miles southeast of Dorena, Oregon	11,998	9%
Oakridge Lightning Fires 2024 - ORWIF	Oregon	Willamette Complex fires are to the north and south of Oakridge.	10,450	0%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	6,133	11%
Ore Fire - ORWIF	Oregon	7 Miles NE of Blue River, OR	1,766	29%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Middle Fork area, west of Crater Lake, Crater Lake National Park	1,938	1%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness	490	0%
Microwave Tower Fire - OR95S	Oregon	5 miles WSW of Mosier, OR	1,311	84%
Falls Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	20 miles NW of Burns	146,000	73%
Crazy Creek - OROCF	Oregon	Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR	60,091	5%
Cow Valley Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	West of Brogan and Northwest of Vale	133,490	99%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	14 miles southwest of Naches, WA	41,279	49%
Pioneer - WASES	Washington	Approximate start 10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA	35,607	12%
Cougar Creek Fire - WASES	Washington	1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde river intersection	20,666	35%
Swawilla Fire - WACOA	Washington	North of Columbia River, East of Swawilla Basin, West of Hwy 21	53,403	90%
Bridge Creek - WACOA	Washington	North of Bridge Creek, East of Elbow River	3,998	100%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johanasburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park C.G.	102	0%
Easy Fire - WAOWF	Washington	North Cascades Hwy 20 Corridor, 17 air miles west of Mazama, WA	528	0%
Lower Granite Fire - WANES	Washington	Northeast of Pomeroy, WA	14,482	99%
Black Canyon - WASES	Washington	10 Miles NW, Naches, WA	9,211	99%
South Columbia Basin - WANES	Washington	9.5 Miles WSW of Cheney, WA	252	100%
Big Horn Fire - WASES	Washington	7 miles SE of Bickleton Washington, and 7 miles N of Roosevelt, Washington	51,569	100%

Source: Inciweb

Tags: Smoke Forecast 2024