Smoke Forecast for Tuesday, July 30, 2024 10:30 AM

July 30 2024

Current Conditions

Several regional wildfires have expanded significantly over the last 48-hours. However, a trough of low pressure will march across the Northern Rockies on Tuesday. It will gradually provide better air quality across the state.

The Wye fire just west of the Bitterroot Valley continues to grow. It has experienced significant growth this week with 0% of the fire contained. Showers and scattered thunderstorms are expected on Tuesday which should ease fire behavior and smoke production on this blaze.

At 10:00 AM Tuesday, Libby, Thompson Falls, Columbia Falls, Seeley Lake, Missoula, Butte, Dillon, Bozeman, West Yellowstone, Helena, Sleeping Giant, Great Falls, Lewistown, Billings, Miles City, Glendive, Sidney were enduring Moderate air quality. Broadus was experiencing air that is considered Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.

Tuesday morning’s satellite shows a trough of low pressure marching across the Northern Rockies.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

A trough of low pressure will move across the Northern Rockies on Tuesday. It will provide some much-needed rainfall for the state and cooler temperatures. The rainfall should help to ease fire behavior and smoke production on existing wildfires. Apart from communities immediately adjacent to wildfires, the trough should provide a brief break from the heavy smoke we’ve endured of late. The spine of the Bitterroot Mountains, including the Wye fire, will see the most rain from this system. Up to half an inch of rain is possible along the Montana/Idaho border. The rain will gradually taper off by early Wednesday.

A ridge of high pressure will begin to move over the area on Wednesday and Thursday. It will allow temperatures to warm back up above average. Due to warm temperatures, gusty winds, and low humidity, there is a good chance for elevated fire weather conditions over parts of Montana between Friday and Saturday.

There are still numerous fires burning across California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. As the ridge builds and southerly winds return Friday and Saturday, some of the smoke from these fires will begin to move back into Montana. Stay tuned!

By Wednesday afternoon, the HRRR smoke model shows a departing trough providing some temporary relief from the smoke to much of the state.

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.

Current Wildfires

Current Wildfires
Incident	State	location	acres	containment
2024 Gwen Fire - IDIDS	Idaho	South of Juliaetta Idaho, about 30 miles outside Lewiston near State Highway 3 in Latah County	28,805	0%
Wolf Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	West facing slope of West Mountain, Council Ranger District, Payette National Forest	909	0%
Oxbow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	Near Oxbow dam in Hells Canyon	6,000	NA
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	Hells Canyon, Council Ranger District Payette National Forest	6,000	0%
Cliff Mountain - IDPAF	Idaho	25 Miles East of Joseph, Oregon	817	0%
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	324	0%
Bench Lake Fire - IDSTF	Idaho	8 miles south of Stanley, Idaho	2,595	85%
Anchor - IDNCF	Idaho	About half way between Hanover Mountain and Square Mountain in the Gospel Hump Wilderness	50	NA
Shepp - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately 30 miles Southwest of Elk City, Idaho	75	NA
Ace Butte - IDNCF	Idaho	Approximately 30 miles Southeast of Grangeville, Idaho	75	NA
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.	530	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
Bull Trout Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	Southwest of Bull Trout Lake	100	0%
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean	50	NA
Texas Fire - IDIDS	Idaho	Two miles East of Kendrick, ID	1,582	90%
Thunder Fire - IDSCF	Idaho, United States	12 miles south, southwest of Salmon, ID	2,474	34%
Miller Peak Fire - MTLNF	Montana	7 miles southeast of Missoula	2,724	65%
Black Mountain - MTHLF	Montana	6 miles northwest of Lincoln. Mont.	65	0%
Blacktail Canyon - MTBDF	Montana	4 miles southeast of Butte, MT	80	95%
Muir Creek Fire - MTGNP	Montana	20 miles southeast of West Glacier, MT and east of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River	30	0%
Butler Creek Fire - MTMTS	Montana	5 miles northwest of Missoula	284	100%
Horse Gulch Fire - MTHLF	Montana	1/2 mile north of Canyon Ferry Dam near Helena, Montana	15,167	100%
Deadman Fire - MTMTS	Montana	Approx 17 mi south of Birney and north of the Tongue River Reservoir in Rosebud and Big Horn Counties	47,827	NA
Badland Complex 2024 - ORVAD	Oregon	Baker County, Oregon	54,618	49%
Ore Fire - ORWIF	Oregon	7 Miles NE of Blue River, OR	1,452	29%
Courtrock Fire - OR95S	Oregon	7.1 Miles S. of Monument, Oregon	17,066	31%
Lone Rock Fire - ORPRD	Oregon	Lone Rock OR stretching to west of HWY 207 and south to HWY 19	137,221	77%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	891	0%
Falls Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	20 miles NW of Burns	142,307	69%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	1,932	0%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	1,636	5%
Adam Mountain - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 6 miles southeast of Dorena, Oregon	8,027	0%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	5,188	9%
Durkee Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	1 mile west of Durkee, Oregon	293,390	51%
Winding Waters Complex - OR97S	Oregon	23 miles east of Union, OR	718	0%
Battle Mountain Complex - OR97S	Oregon	West and south of Ukiah, OR	178,171	10%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness	428	0%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Middle Fork area, west of Crater Lake, Crater Lake National Park	715	1%
Microwave Tower Fire - OR95S	Oregon	5 miles WSW of Mosier, OR	1,306	53%
Telephone Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	16 miles north east of Burns, Oregon	26,000	0%
Cow Valley Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	West of Brogan and Northwest of Vale	133,490	99%
Quartz - ORUPF	Oregon	10 miles SSE Dorena, OR	974	0%
Mineral - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 7 miles southeast of Dorena, Oregon	1,201	0%
Puddin - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 13 miles southeast of Dorena, OR	392	0%
Jack Saddle - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 10 miles SSE of Dorena, Oregon	1,248	0%
Clark 900 - OR770S	Oregon	37 miles northeast of Roseburg, OR	3,747	0%
Crazy Creek - OROCF	Oregon	Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR	16,978	0%
Cougar Creek Fire - WASES	Washington	1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde river intersection	17,602	29%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	14 miles southwest of Naches, WA	29,499	11%
Pioneer - WASES	Washington	Approximate start 10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA	33,276	15%
Easy Fire - WAOWF	Washington	North Cascades Hwy 20 Corridor, 17 air miles west of Mazama, WA	528	0%
Big Horn Fire - WASES	Washington	7 miles SE of Bickleton Washington, and 7 miles N of Roosevelt, Washington	50,061	92%
Bridge Creek - WACOA	Washington	North of Bridge Creek, East of Elbow River	3,950	43%
Swawilla Fire - WACOA	Washington	North of Columbia River, East of Swawilla Basin, West of Hwy 21	47,190	45%
South Columbia Basin - WANES	Washington	9.5 Miles WSW of Cheney, WA	252	20%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johanasburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park C.G.	82	0%
Black Canyon - WASES	Washington	10 Miles NW, Naches, WA	9,211	89%

Source: Inciweb

Tags: Smoke Forecast 2024