Smoke Forecast for Thursday, August 1, 2024 9:30 AM

August 01 2024

Current Conditions

High pressure continues to strengthen over the Northern Rockies Thursday. Much of Montana is enjoying a break from the smoke and haze from earlier in the week.

A good wetting rain fell on the Northern Rockies Tuesday, easing fire behavior and temporarily reducing smoke production. However, upstream of Montana, there are still several large active wildfires burning. In Oregon alone, there are 5 active wildfires over 100,000 acres in size that will continue to generate smoke over the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies for the foreseeable future.

At 9:00 AM Thursday, Great Falls, Lewistown, Sidney, and Broadus were enduring Moderate air quality.

Thursday morning’s satellite shows some smoke along the High Line, with abundant smoke in parts of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington.

Source: NOAA

Forecast

High pressure will gradually strengthen over Montana Thursday and Friday. It will generate unseasonably warm temperatures and low relative humidity values. Southwest winds will allow smoke and haze from regional wildfires to return to the Treasure State. The skies will be noticeably smokier starting Friday.

Monsoonal moisture will return to Montana late Saturday and Sunday. The influx of moisture will bring the threat of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Some of these storms will generate gusty winds which could produce erratic fire behavior on existing wildfires. Considering much of the state west of the Continental Divide is in a worsening drought, any lightning has the potential to start new fires.

Next week should remain unsettled with monsoonal moisture remaining a theme. There will be chances for precipitation nearly every day, with the greatest rain totals over the higher terrain. The combination of rain and cooler temperatures should help temper wildfire activity over the Northern Rockies.

By Friday afternoon, the HRRR smoke model shows light to medium concentrations of smoke returning to Western Montana.

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
Wolf Creek Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	5 miles west of Donnelly, ID	909	0%
Wapiti Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	2 miles southwest of Grandjean	85	0%
Bulltrout Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	15 MILE WNW OF STANLEY, ID	292	15%
Boulder Fire - IDBOF	Idaho	9 Miles southwest of Cascade, Idaho.	554	7%
Cliff Mountain - IDPAF	Idaho	25 Miles East of Joseph, Oregon	1,101	0%
Limepoint Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	8 miles NE of Oxbow Dam	18,734	0%
2024 Gwen Fire - IDIDS	Idaho	South of Juliaetta Idaho, about 30 miles outside Lewiston near State Highway 3 in Latah County	28,805	65%
Bench Lake Fire - IDSTF	Idaho	8 miles south of Stanley, Idaho	2,595	85%
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
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.	573	NA
Oxbow Fire - IDPAF	Idaho	Near Oxbow dam in Hells Canyon	6,000	NA
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
Texas Fire - IDIDS	Idaho	Two miles East of Kendrick, ID	1,582	90%
Thunder Fire - IDSCF	Idaho	12 miles south, southwest of Salmon, ID	2,474	34%
Black Mountain - MTHLF	Montana	6 miles northwest of Lincoln. Mont.	76	0%
Miller Peak Fire - MTLNF	Montana	7 miles southeast of Missoula	2,724	65%
Muir Creek Fire - MTGNP	Montana	20 miles southeast of West Glacier, MT and east of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River	30	0%
Blacktail Canyon - MTBDF	Montana	4 miles southeast of Butte, MT	80	95%
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%
Crazy Creek - OROCF	Oregon	Crazy Creek:16 miles north of Paulina, OR	31,440	5%
Adam Mountain - ORUPF	Oregon	Approximately 6 miles southeast of Dorena, Oregon	9,997	7%
Courtrock Fire - OR95S	Oregon	7.1 Miles S. of Monument, Oregon	19,282	41%
Durkee Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	1 mile west of Durkee, Oregon	293,882	58%
Microwave Tower Fire - OR95S	Oregon	5 miles WSW of Mosier, OR	1,311	79%
Red Fire - ORDEF	Oregon	Diamond Peak Wilderness	428	0%
Battle Mountain Complex - OR97S	Oregon	West and south of Ukiah, OR	178,171	19%
Whisky Creek Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	East fork of Herman Creek, 6 miles SE of Cascade Locks, OR	891	0%
Middle Fork Fire - ORCLP	Oregon	Middle Fork area, west of Crater Lake, Crater Lake National Park	728	1%
Diamond Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	18 miles southwest of Chemult, Oregon	5,486	11%
Homestead Complex - ORUPF	Oregon	Thirty miles northeast of Glide Oregon	1,892	5%
Lone Rock Fire - ORPRD	Oregon	Lonerock OR stretching to west of HWY 207 and south to HWY 19	137,221	80%
Cottage Grove - Lane 1 - OR77S	Oregon	Approximately 16 miles SE of Springfield, OR	2,112	7%
Ore Fire - ORWIF	Oregon	7 Miles NE of Blue River, OR	1,486	29%
Telephone Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	16 miles north east of Burns, Oregon	36,668	15%
Falls Fire - ORMAF	Oregon	20 miles NW of Burns	142,307	69%
Cow Valley Fire - ORVAD	Oregon	West of Brogan and Northwest of Vale	133,490	99%
Badland Complex 2024 - ORVAD	Oregon	Baker County, Oregon	54,615	69%
Boulder Fire - ORMHF	Oregon	Approximately 26 miles SW of Dufur, OR.	233	100%
Pioneer - WASES	Washington	Approximate start 10 miles southeast of Stehekin, WA	33,761	12%
Easy Fire - WAOWF	Washington	North Cascades Hwy 20 Corridor, 17 air miles west of Mazama, WA	528	0%
Retreat - WASES	Washington	14 miles southwest of Naches, WA	31,559	37%
Black Canyon - WASES	Washington	10 Miles NW, Naches, WA	9,211	99%
Lower Granite Fire - WANES	Washington	Northeast of Pomeroy, WA	14,482	50%
Cougar Creek Fire - WASES	Washington	1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde river intersection	17,602	29%
Bridge Creek - WACOA	Washington	North of Bridge Creek, East of Elbow River	3,950	50%
Swawilla Fire - WACOA	Washington	North of Columbia River, East of Swawilla Basin, West of Hwy 21	48,970	60%
Pincer Two Fire - WAMSF	Washington	Johanasburg Mountain. 1 Mile East of Mineral Park C.G.	102	0%
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