Missoula County, MT
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Air Quality: Discussion
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August 25, 2023 3:00 p.m.
The air quality across Missoula County is Good to Moderate as of Friday afternoon and PM2.5 concentrations are trending down this evening! More and more of the air monitors on the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map are turning green (yay). As for the rest of the weekend, I predict Missoula County will have Good to Moderate air quality. Showers this afternoon and evening will provide some moisture going into the weekend, but that high pressure ridge I mentioned the other day is bringing warmer, drier conditions Saturday and Sunday. Although we’re getting rain, local fires could wake up a little this weekend and produce some smoke given the forecasted weather, although I’m not expecting much. We’ll mainly be keeping our eye on the Big Knife Fire west of Arlee.
Smoke from the wildfires in Oregon and northern California that we saw earlier this week is unlikely to reach us this weekend and is not a big concern. Upper-level transport winds are coming from the east this weekend which are unlikely to carry much smoke to the Missoula area. With the hot, dry weather just around the corner, take a look at MTfireinfo.org and their Active Fire Restrictions Map.
Your silly-looking, paw-waving, local air quali-kitty is signing off and wishes you the best of times this weekend!
Kerri Mueller
August 23, 2023 12:30 p.m.
Air quality around Missoula County is Good as of this morning, but we may be in for some haze this afternoon and evening which will likely persist into Thursday. Missoula County’s air quality may fluctuate between Good and Moderate today and tomorrow. Low pressure troughing across the Pacific Northwest is creating southwesterly flow which is directing smoke from Oregon and northern California fires towards Missoula. A high pressure ridge will set up over our area by Thursday and it will bring hot, dry conditions again towards the end of the week. Just because we received some nice soaking rains for local fires, doesn’t mean they received the same out west 😕. As long as fires upwind of us continue to burn, there's a chance of smoke making its way to our valleys. There’s still a chance for showers today which is always refreshing and decreases local fire activity, but be sure to always check MTfireinfo.org for current fire restrictions by taking a look at their Active Fire Restrictions Map! With haze moving in and the variability of air quality across Missoula County, take a look at the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air to know the current air quality closest to you. It’s always a good time to make sure you have clean indoor air quality as well so please check out montanawildfiresmoke.org for resources about portable HEPA air purifiers for your home!
Kerri Mueller
August 21, 2023 3:45 p.m.
We have Good air quality all across Missoula County! These rain events have been very timely in reducing fire activity locally. Air quality will likely stay Good into Tuesday and hopefully Wednesday. Regionally, fires in Oregon and Washington are still producing a lot of smoke; the funnel of purple and red air quality monitors on EPA's Fire and Smoke Map is a good visual of how much smoke places west of Missoula are experiencing.
The clouds make it difficult to see where the smoke is moving on the NOAA Goes 18, but the satellite images do show upper level clouds and transport winds swirling around Missoula. Closer to the surface, smoke from Oregon and Washington is moving east and appears to be sitting under the clouds. As the week progresses, winds will start to shift and come more from the west than the south; this could deliver some haze if the smoke doesn’t disperse enough before reaching Missoula. Lower mixing heights should keep our clean air pocket in Missoula today and tomorrow, but come Wednesday to later in the week, higher mixing heights may pull any haze overhead into the valleys.
We will be keeping you updated if conditions change later this week. For now, put on a rain jacket and enjoy the clean air and cool temperatures out there. You know, Mushu does have a rain jacket but she’s really not the biggest fan of it… She’d rather curl up and hide inside when it’s raining like this!
Keep an eye on changing air quality conditions by checking the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map. To check the status of other fires across the US, take a look at InciWeb; they post recent fire activity reports. Check out MTFireInfo.org for Current Restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Check out some great resources about keeping your indoor air clean and how to handle wildfire smoke at montanawildfiresmoke.org.
Kerri Mueller
August 18, 2023 12:00 p.m.
Missoula County had generally Moderate air quality last night. Air quality around Missoula County is predicted to stay Moderate today depending on the haze sent this way from fires burning in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The Big Knife Fire will most likely be active again this afternoon; smoke would impact those in the drainages west of the fire during the evening as inversions set up. This applies to other fires north of Missoula County on the Flathead Reservation and further north – they’ll be active and some surface smoke could be sent south. This weekend is looking a bit complicated as far as predicting what the smoke will be like in Missoula County because northerly near-surface winds could move smoke south from Canada while westerly upper level winds could send smoke our way from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Those winds from the north carrying Canadian smoke may not reach us this weekend but we are keeping it on our radar. We will be sending out updates as needed this weekend so stay posted for more emails coming your way as we keep our eyes on plumes from the East Fire in Idaho, the Bedrock and Lookout fires in Oregon, and Canadian fires. Higher overhead winds may bring some haze over Missoula County from fires to our west, but with lower mixing heights this weekend, it may just stay overhead. Transport winds will start slowing down late Saturday through Sunday which means if there is haze above Missoula County, it won’t move out as quickly. Make sure to monitor changing air quality conditions by checking the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map.
To check the status of other fires across the US, take a look at InciWeb; they post recent fire activity reports. Before your weekend adventures, whether that’s in Missoula County or somewhere else, look at MTFireInfo.org for Current Restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Check out some great resources about keeping your indoor air clean and how to handle wildfire smoke at montanawildfiresmoke.org.
I wish it wasn’t looking so complicated this weekend, but that just keeps us on our toes… and paws! Stay updated on the local air quality and have a great weekend.
Kerri Mueller
August 17, 2023 10:45 a.m.
It was a smoky evening for Missoula (and a smoky morning). Yesterday when I said upper-level smoke could move into the valley floors as inversions set up for the evening, I was really hoping there’d be clean air overhead but that wasn’t the case. The pocket of clean air that I saw moving our way moved through too quickly and we saw air quality levels hit Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Unhealthy across Missoula County. Air quality in Missoula County this morning is ranging from Unhealthy to Moderate depending on the area; lower elevations have higher concentrations of smoke, but the smoke is already starting to disperse a bit this morning. Once the inversion fully breaks, I expect Missoula to have Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Moderate air quality today. Frenchtown is in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category, but also trending towards Moderate. Arlee, Seeley Lake, and Condon have Unhealthy air as of this morning and with the higher concentrations of smoke in those areas and a more dramatic inversion it may take until this afternoon for the smoke to clear out.
Remember that when air quality is Unhealthy, sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects and the general public may also experience health effects. This typically takes the form of headaches, scratchy throat, coughing, etc. It looks different for everyone! When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects and the general public is less likely to be affected. As a reminder, the sensitive groups category is larger than you may expect: children and youths under 18, pregnant people, older adults, people with heart or lung disease, outdoor workers, and persons with lower socioeconomic status are all at higher risk from the smoke.
Yesterday, northerly winds delivered smoke from Canadian fires but today those winds have shifted and are bringing air from the west. This means the smoky haze drifting over Washington and Oregon are headed our way. The East Fire in Idaho, which was burning pretty hot last night, is sending smoke to Ravalli County. Based on the satellite imagery, it looks like the smoke plume may just skirt south of Missoula County. Overall, the wind shift is good news for air quality in Missoula County as there are fewer fires to our west!
Source: NOAA Goes 18
Today's smoke impacts will depend largely on fire activity in Idaho and how much of the haze currently over Washington and Oregon is overhead late this afternoon and early evening. Today is likely to be an active fire day, so we could see some significant plume development from the Big Knife Fire and we could also see a plume head our way from the Little Bear Fire in Idaho. Folks west of Big Knife may see smoke impacts this evening, and those near the active fire could see smoke trapped in drainages overnight. As always, stay alert for changing conditions by watching the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and we will be keeping an eye on any fires in Idaho and Oregon that may send smoke our way!
When smoke concentrations are higher like this it is extremely important to have clean indoor air. If possible, close your windows and run an air purifier or your HVAC system. MERV 11, 12, or 13 filters for an HVAC system or a DIY box fan filter can filter out smoke particles. True HEPA filters for portable air purifiers filter out smoke particles, as well. Having clean indoor air is even tougher when it’s hot outside because many of us use the cool nighttime air to cool our houses down. For most people, heat is more immediately dangerous than smoke. You must cool down your home, and that can mean opening your windows at night and letting smoke inside. In the morning, close your windows and turn on your HEPA air purifier, DIY box fan filter or HVAC system to clean the indoor air. If you have a window air conditioning unit in a bedroom, you can close that room off from the rest of the house overnight and run your air purifier or box fan filter in your bedroom so you have a cool, clean place to sleep!
To check the status of other fires across the US, take a look at InciWeb; they post recent fire activity reports. With higher temps and drier weather, be sure to take a look at MTFireInfo.org for Current Restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Check out some great resources about keeping your indoor air clean and how to handle wildfire smoke at montanawildfiresmoke.org.
Don’t have a portable HEPA air purifier? Check out montanawildfiresmoke.org for more information about how to get $100 back on an Energy Star Certified air purifier if you’re a Northwestern Energy customer. All you need to do is fill out the Northwestern Energy Customer Rebate with your account info and a recent bill, attach your receipt for the Energy Star Certified air purifier you bought, and either mail or email it to NWE. Not a Northwestern Energy customer? Reach out to my friends at montanawildfiresmoke.org for some more advice!
Photo source: Sarah Coefield
We’ve all been missing Hester this smoke season, but she wants to let you know she’s still getting out to adventure 😊 One might think she’s not happy with the current air quality in this picture, but it looks like she’s just trying to eat some grass… or maybe it’s both!
Kerri Mueller
August 16, 2023 11:30 a.m.
Well, our nice little break from smoke the past week and a half has come to a halt. Local fires were VERY active yesterday afternoon and throughout the night which is expected when temperatures increase and there’s less moisture in the air. The plume from the Big Knife Fire was visible from town last night. On top of local fires, there are three fires in Canada that were burning hot enough last night you could see them on satellite imagery. A lot of smoke from these fires is hanging above the valley floors in Missoula County. It’s quite eerie out there with the orange hue in the sky. Even with the smoke overhead, the air quality across Missoula County is Good to Moderate as of 11:00 a.m. with more monitors detecting Moderate air quality. Smoke concentrations are generally increasing so keep an eye on monitors near you on the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map.
Smoke over Missoula from fires in Canada and surrounding areas. Source: NOAA Goes 18
Later this afternoon and evening, smoke concentrations will depend on how much smoke is still sitting overhead at the time of peak mixing. Transport winds are in the teens today meaning they can transport the smoke sitting above Missoula out of the area, but those winds can also continue to bring smoky air in. If clean air moves in, then less smoky air will be mixed into the valley when mixing heights are at their peak. If the smoke sitting a little lower doesn’t move out, then mixing will just move that smoke to the ground and it could be trapped there overnight as inversions set up. Any smoke produced overnight from local fires will also impact surface smoke concentrations which is something to look out for especially if you’re near the Big Knife Fire.
In this case of high heat and smoke, be smart and safe about staying cool and not exposing yourself to too much smoky air. To check the status of other fires across the US, take a look at InciWeb; they post recent fire activity reports. With higher temps and drier weather, be sure to take a look at MTFireInfo.org for Current Restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Check out some great resources about keeping your indoor air clean and how to handle wildfire smoke at montanawildfiresmoke.org.
Don't worry, Mushu's hard at work on these smoke updates (someone's gotta do them)! Be safe and make sure to get those air purifiers running inside - if you have questions about air purifiers please reach out.
Kerri Mueller
August 11, 2023 01:00 p.m.
Last weekend’s rain has really served us well air quality wise! This whole week has been primarily in the green with a couple dips into Moderate air quality. The colder weather and rain have slowed fire activity which reduced smoke production in the area. Air quality across Missoula County is Good to Moderate and is predicted to stay this way over the weekend. The satellite imagery is just beautiful – clear skies and no visible smoke, just take a look yourself!
Photo source: NOAA Goes 16
Although strong westerly winds have been bringing clean air to us, this could promote fire activity especially with less humidity in the forecast for the weekend. Upper level winds will continue to come from the west until late Saturday, winds will then come from the north. Arlee to Missoula may see some light haze from fires on the Flathead Reservation (Big Knife Fire, Niarada Fire). A combination of northerly winds and a short stint of easterly winds on Saturday night could bring some smoke into Swan Valley potentially impacting Condon and Seeley Lake with some light haze (Tin Soldier Complex, Colt Fire).
I’m not expecting a lot of haze this weekend in Missoula County, but keep an eye on the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air. website to see air quality across Montana. Check out MTFireInfo.org for Current Restrictions , current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Check out some great resources about keeping your indoor air clean and how to handle wildfire smoke at montanawildfiresmoke.org.
And cause you haven’t seen your local air quali-kitty lately, she’s ready for her next adventure this weekend… where to, she has no idea! Happy adventuring 😊
Kerri Mueller
August 4, 2023 1:00 p.m.
Now that the winds are coming from the north, smoke is traveling down Hwy 93 from fires on the Flathead Reservation (Big Knife Fire, Niarada Fire). Early this morning, air quality was Good in Missoula and Seeley Lake but has moved into Moderate to match what Frenchtown was experiencing all night. Conditions in Condon are currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. For the weekend, air quality in Missoula County will fluctuate between periods of Good air quality to Moderate. Condon to Seeley Lake should see some relief from smoke this weekend with forecasted weather but could still see some smoke from the Tin Soldier Complex burning to the north. The Colt Fire is burning slower but still putting out some smoke that could impact Condon to Seeley Lake this weekend. The rain this weekend should give the Swan Valley a little relief as it slows down fires a bit.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
The forecasted rain and thunderstorms can be a mixed bag for fires with the potential for new fire starts from lightning strikes, but with a good amount of rain they slow down fire activity and cool everything off. This also means local fires won’t be putting off significant plumes like the ones that we’ve seen this past week. As for air quality, storms bring down the mixing heights, so if smoke is trapped below the clouds it could just be rain and smoke trapped in the valleys. On the other hand, if the storm moves in clean air, that’s a perfect scenario – reducing fire activity and delivering fresh air! I’m hoping and predicting it’s the latter.
The clouds above Missoula County made it impossible to see where the Big Knife Fire and Colt Fire smoke plumes are moving, but they did reveal that the smoke from the Niarada Fire is moving south below the upper level clouds that are moving northeast. The Niarada Fire is burning east, southeast, while the Middle Ridge fire has slowed down a lot. Pictures from the Arlee area show how much smoke is moving down 93. The Big Knife Fire will continue to burn east towards the South Fork of the Jocko River and also north towards Gold Creek but the rains should slow it down and reduce the amount of smoke produced.
Photo Source: Montana Webcams
As always, take a look at the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air. website to see changing air quality conditions in Missoula County; click on individual monitors to see the hourly air quality index for that area. Check out MTFireInfo.org for Current Restrictions , current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Check out some great resources about keeping your indoor air clean and how to handle wildfire smoke at montanawildfiresmoke.org.
Thankfully, Mushu and I got out huckleberry picking before the weekend storms! Enjoy the cooler weather moving in this weekend and stay updated on current air quality conditions. Until next time 😊
August 3, 2023 10:30 a.m.
Air Quality conditions in Missoula area, including Frenchtown and Lolo, are Good to Moderate this morning with a downward to steady trend of PM2.5 concentrations. A brief inversion this morning and some surface level winds this afternoon set Missoula up for a decent air quality day. Moderate transport winds predicted for later this afternoon coming from the north may bring smoke from the Big Knife Fire and other fires further north on the Flathead Reservation; high mixing heights could bring down any smoke sitting above us this evening. If there’s smoke above us later in the evening, an inversion could trap this smoke in the valleys overnight but hopefully the transport winds dissipate the smoke enough that we won’t see those effects. Overall, we may see some haze above Missoula area. Seeley Lake was Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups for part of the night but only for a couple of hours before moving into Moderate air quality where it sits now. Condon had some relief with Moderate air quality over the night, but smoke is already starting to move in causing air to be Unhealthy to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and is predicted to increase today as fire activity continues. In Arlee, smoke was just sitting in the valley this morning but has already started to dissipate as the inversion breaks.
Smoke settled in above Arlee this morning. Source: NBC Montana Webcams
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Taking a look at satellite imagery, plumes from local fires are obscured by a lot of clouds… But clouds also mean the hope for reduced fire activity with cooler temperatures in the next few days. There are some predicted thunderstorms through the weekend which means potential for new fire starts from lightning strikes. The Big Knife Fire continued to burn overnight and has potential to keep burning north east and east towards Gold Creek and the South Fork of the Jocko. Its plume of smoke is stretching southeast this morning and Missoula may see it move overhead later today. The Colt Fire has slowed down but a couple of spot fires southwest of the main burn area have potential to make some ground as it’s a difficult place to access.
Check the air quality around the state on EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air. website; click on individual monitors to see the hourly air quality index for that area. Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Check out some great resources about keeping your indoor air clean and how to handle wildfire smoke at montanawildfiresmoke.org.
Kerri Mueller
August 2, 2023 12:00 p.m.
Smoke from the Big Knife Fire flowed into the mountains north of Missoula overnight, and we saw significant impacts in the higher elevations of (such as the Butler Creek and Rattlesnake drainages), where air quality was Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy. As inversions began breaking and smoke was able to lift up, conditions improved in these areas, and are now generally Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Air quality should continue to improve in those drainages as the day goes on. Meanwhile, there is a lot of smoke from Big Knife overhead in the northern and western parts of the Missoula Valley, which is contributing to our glowy light today. There is a chance air quality in Missoula and Frenchtown will worsen for a bit early this afternoon when mixing really sets in and that smoke has an opportunity to make landfall. (It should lift back up, but I expect we’ll see some haze all day.) Conditions are currently Moderate in Missoula and Frenchtown.
Meanwhile, Arlee and Evaro appear socked in with smoke (check out the Arlee webcam). Conditions should improve later today, but for now, folks should try to limit their outdoor activities and seek cleaner indoor air.
Seeley Lake’s air quality has been all over the place. Last night, smoke from the Big Knife Fire’s plume hit the area with Unhealthy air quality for a bit. That initial smoke intrusion backed off in the early morning hours, but as inversion have been breaking in the Seeley Lake area, we have begun to see smoke returning to the valley. Air quality in Seeley Lake is currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The smoke is likely a mixture from both the Colt and Big Knife fires. Conditions in Seeley Lake should improve later today once this initial smoke hit has a chance to lift back up.
The Colt Fire once again primarily sent its smoke north last night, and it hammered Condon and the Lindbergh Lake area this morning (Lindbergh Lake saw Hazardous air quality). Conditions have begun to improve, but we still have Unhealthy air quality from the Colt Fire all the way north through the Swan Valley. The Niarada and Middle Ridge fires sent impressive plumes over the Swan Valley last night, and some of their smoke also made landfall in the Swan Valley in the late afternoon/early evening. We may see a repeat this evening.
Today could be a mixed air quality bag. The fires are likely to remain active through the day, but relatively slow transport winds will lead to lazy plumes that don’t get as far away from Missoula County as we would prefer. The transport winds will be generally westerly with an early evening northwesterly component, which should keep most Idaho smoke south of Missoula County but will likely lead to additional Big Knife impacts in the Seeley Lake and Highway 200 areas.
We are still under the influence of high pressure ridging, which (in addition to making it way too hot) may keep some smoke in the valleys for most or all of the day. For the Missoula Valley, this will likely translate into continued haze and a reminder that May is a lovely time of year. The Swan Valley may have a hard time seeing much clean air today. There’s still a decent chance the Condon area will get a break from Unhealthy air later today after mixing sets in, but the air is likely to be smoke impacted throughout the afternoon. (And potentially made worse by smoke from the Niarada Fire.)
In general, conditions in Missoula and Frenchtown should be Good to Moderate (with potential for early afternoon smoke bouncing in and back out of the valleys and introducing some Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups conditions). Seeley Lake is likely to range from Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, and Condon will likely range from Moderate to Unhealthy.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Overnight, we will see southerly surface and transport breezes which may prevent a repeat of this morning’s Big Knife smoke impacts in the Missoula area. However, tomorrow the winds are all northerly all the time, which is not great news for those of us south of active fires. You know who’s south of an active fire? Darn near everyone.
As always, keep an eye out for changing condition. You can find near real-time air quality data at EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air. website. Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Also, be sure to visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for clean air tips and advice for staying safe when it’s hot and smoky outside.
In this morning’s satellite photo, you can see smoke from the Big Knife fire oozing over into the Missoula Valley. It is also filling up the Arlee and Evaro areas and likely significantly impacting the Highway 93 corridor. The Niarada Fire already has a plume heading northeast, and the Colt Fire has smoke settled into the Seeley-Swan valleys. We also have a huge amount of wispy overhead clouds masquerading as smoke plumes. Photo source: NOAA GOES 16
Get outside and take advantage of clean (or cleanish) air when we have it! Photo source: Sarah Coefield
Breathe safe!
August 1, 2023 10:00 a.m.
While Missoula and Frenchtown woke up to better air quality than we saw last night, folks along Highway 83 (looking at you, Seeley Lake and Condon) were not as fortunate. The Seeley-Swan valleys, already bedeviled by the Colt Fire, have started to see additional smoke creep in from fires burning on the other side of the Mission Mountains. Colt remains the primary source of overnight smoke for the region, but Big Knife continues to send plumes toward Seeley Lake, and the newer fires burning across the Flathead Reservation have smoke drifting over the Condon area.
Stable conditions yesterday and today are preventing smoke from easily leaving these smoky valleys. As a result, Condon saw Unhealthy air quality all day yesterday and may be in store for a repeat today. Seeley Lake air quality was generally Moderate yesterday, but the valley is starting its day teetering between is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Unhealthy smoke levels.
Conditions are generally Moderate in the Potomac Valley, Missoula, and Frenchtown.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Due to the amount of smoke in the area, coupled with stability caused by a weak high pressure ridge over the region, inversion break in Seeley and Condon may not offer much relief this morning. Both valleys may continue to see Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy air quality all day.
I know it’s high recreation time in the Seeley-Swan, and Unhealthy air quality isn’t on anyone’s summer fun bucket list. The good news is this high pressure ridge should break down in the next couple of days, which will hopefully lead to better afternoon air quality by the end of the week. Also, we have some weather systems potentially moving in to generally shake things up. While the precipitation amounts won’t be season-enders, it will be very nice to see some cooler weather and potentially lessened fire behavior for a while. So hang in there. While smoke is around, try to limit your outdoor activity levels and spend time in cleaner indoor air. Smoke is worst for children, the elderly, people with heart or lung disease, and pregnant people, but remember: smoke is bad for everyone, and the longer this drags on, the worse it is for you. Hop on over to www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for tips for staying healthy this summer!
Meanwhile, it’s likely to be an active fire day, which means more smoke for everyone. The generally westerly transport winds should keep the Missoula Valley generally plume-free for most of the day, but by this evening, transport winds get swirly. There is a chance we’ll see smoke from Big Knife hack a right and head toward Missoula early this evening. I don’t have a ton of confidence in this possibility, though, so we’ll take a wait-and-see approach to any significant Big Knife impacts in Missoula. I do expect some Idaho fires to perk up by this afternoon and send smoke to Ravalli County and potentially southern Missoula County. (We may also see some smoke from the Sawtooth Fire head toward Ninemile and Frenchtown.)
With generally stable conditions, Missoula and Frenchtown may hold on to our light haze throughout the day like a pair of worn-out socks we just can’t quite get rid of.
Keep an eye out for changing conditions this evening. You can find near real-time air quality data at EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air. website. And, if there are no air monitors in your area, look outside! If you can’t see five miles, the air is Unhealthy. (If you can’t see five miles because there’s a mountain or a tree in the way, congratulations, you live in Western Montana! If it looks really darn smoky, it’s smoky.) Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. Also, be sure to visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for clean air tips and advice for staying safe when it’s hot and smoky outside.
There are a lot of fires burning around the region. With clear skies and hot temperatures, we can expect to see fire activity increasing throughout the day. The smoke currently trapped in the Seeley-Swan valleys may not get very good lift today, which means that region may see smoky conditions continue this afternoon. Stability may also keep haze present throughout the rest of the county. Also, check out the Bowles Creek Fire. It is sending smoke toward Hamilton this morning. As that fire continues to grow, it will become more likely to impact Ravalli County overnight as smoke drains down hill. Photo Source: NOAA GOES 18
Keep an eye on changing conditions, like Hester the Smoke Fluffcaster! (Sorry. It doesn’t have as good a ring to it as Mushu the Air QualiKitty/Clean Air AdovoCat. I’ll keep workshopping it. Ya’ll are being spoiled with friendly local air quality adventure cats!)
Breathe safe!
July 31, 2023 1:00 p.m.
It’s time for another air quality update after a very active Sunday! As most of you noticed this weekend, that haze we’ve been alluding too has finally arrived. In Missoula we are mainly seeing upper level haze from the Elkhorn Fire in Idaho along with a couple smaller fires in Idaho (Little Bear Fire, Sawtooth Fire). The plume from the Elkhorn Fire is moving north, northeast. It appears to already be dissipating north of Missoula to provide us with a decent afternoon. But, if you smelled smoke last night in Missoula, that was likely from a small fire down in Lolo that has been mostly contained. Missoula is experiencing a range of air quality from Good to Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Lolo is experiencing Moderate air quality.
Photo Source: NASA GOES 18
The smoke from the Big Knife Fire, east of Arlee, which has grown rapidly to an estimated three to five thousand acres, has spilled into the drainages east of the burn including the Blackfoot Corridor along Hwy 200, Rattlesnake Creek, and Gold Creek. Some of the Big Knife Fire smoke has made its way down to Missoula via Hwy 93, as well. Smoke in Seeley Lake is coming primarily from the Big Knife Fire resulting in air quality that is Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The Colt Fire northwest of Seeley Lake has grown to over 6000 acres and is impacting those north of Seeley Lake resulting in Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy to Hazardous air quality.
Big Knife Fire, photo source: Elena Evans
As inversions set up in the evenings, any smoke produced overnight may settle into the valley floor. In Missoula County, the Big Knife Fire and the Colt Fire have high probability of producing smoke in the evenings. When the smoke is near you, it is important to clean your indoor air, whether that is through a portable HEPA filter, a DIY box fan filter , or having a MERV 11, 12, or 13 filter on your HVAC system. Check out all this information and more helpful tips to stay healthy during smoke season at montanawildfiresmoke.org. When the inversion breaks, air will mix and provide valleys with better air quality until the inversion sets up again in the evenings.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Very Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid heavy or prolonged exertion and stay indoors when possible, people with asthma should follow asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors.
When air quality is Hazardous, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid any outdoor activity. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider. Everyone else should avoid heavy and prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors.
If you’re wondering what the current air quality is before you go for a run, bike, or hike, check the check the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air. website and click on a monitor closest to you. If there is not a monitor close to your area, take a look outside and listen to what your body is telling you if it is feeling the effects of smoke. Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season.
Be smart and breathe safe out there, try to enjoy the outdoors when the air quality is good. I definitely don’t enjoy the haze (unless it’s in beverage form..) but keeping an eye on the air quality monitors helps me plan when to get outside! As for the air quali-kitty, she’s sleeping her days and nights away breathing some nice clean indoor air 😊
Kerri Mueller
July 28, 2023 5:00 p.m.
Based on satellite imagery from this morning, smoke from the Colt Fire was sitting right above the Swan Valley providing Good to Moderate air quality in Seeley Lake and by Lindbergh Lake. Around 9pm last night, the smoke started to dissipate from Lindbergh Lake relieving them with Good air quality that persisted into the morning. Smoke from the Big Knife fire is being lifted east towards Seeley Lake. Transport winds should continue to carry that smoke east, but as transport and surface winds slow at night smoke may creep into Seeley Lake resulting in Moderate to Unhealthy air quality in the evenings.
After a night of Good air quality in Condon, smoke settled in this morning resulting in Unhealthy conditions. That broke around noon, and as the afternoon progressed, air quality switched to Moderate. This trend of smoke during the day and clean air during the evening may persist through the weekend for the Condon area.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Current scattered clouds on the satellite imagery make it difficult to see afternoon conditions of smoke plumes from local fires. West of us in Idaho and Oregon, fires started to create a haze across those states but thankfully we haven’t seen that in Missoula yet! There’s one new fire directly east of Stevensville, the Shylo Fire, which we probably won’t see any smoke impacts from.
Let’s hope the fire gods let us off easy, but one thing about weather, wildfire, and smoke… it can all change quickly! And remember, before you head out on your weekend adventure, check the EPA's Fire and Smoke Map and Montana Today's Air. for current air quality conditions. Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. And, as always, be sure to pop on over to montanawildfiresmoke.org for tips and tricks to stay healthy when smoke fills the valleys! For more information about conditions surrounding the Big Knife and Colt Fire, check out the NW Montana Colt Wildfire Smoke Outlook.
Mushu, the air quali-kitty, and I will be watching the smoke and air monitors this weekend. Be safe and wear your sunscreen and pfds!
Kerri Mueller
July 27, 2023 11:30 a.m.
It's shaping up to be a good air quality day here in Missoula. But just north of us in Arlee, smoke from the Big Knife Fire is spilling into the valley and seems to be sitting there for now given there's a lower forecasted mixing height. As the winds pick up this afternoon and the valley is warmed, it will hopefully disperse that smoke from Arlee. Unfortunately, we don't have a monitor in Arlee to know the air quality index right now (volunteer anyone?) but from the NBC Montana webcam on TV Mountain it's clearly hazy with smoke, no pun intended.
As for the Colt Fire north of Seeley Lake, the air quality was Good overnight in Seeley Lake and Condon. As of 11:00 AM, air quality in Condon is Unhealthy, Lindbergh Lake is Hazardous, and Seeley Lake is Moderate to Unhealthy. As the inversion broke this morning, piled up smoke from the last night moved down into Condon and Lindbergh Lake. Burning operations conducted today may impact the trend of better air quality in the afternoon, but hopefully the afternoon winds move that smoke along. As the evening rolls in, smoke may settle into the valley and disperse late morning similar to the last couple of days.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Hazardous, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid any outdoor activity. People with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid any outdoor activity. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider. Everyone else should avoid heavy and prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors.
South of the Big Knife and Colt Fires, our air quality fate lays in the winds from Oregon and Idaho which is shaping up to be a little haze across the county. The Little Bear Fire has been smoldering in a previously burned over area, but based on heat detections, it has started picking up acreage.
Before heading out on your next adventure, be sure to check the air monitors at EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map (fire.airnow.gov) which also shows changing smoke conditions across the county. Montana DEQ also provides information about air quality at permanent monitors around the state at Montana Today’s Air. Also, with our fire danger rapidly increasing, please do your part to prevent more fires. Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. And, as always, be sure to pop on over to www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for tips and tricks to stay healthy when smoke fills the valleys!
On a lighter note, meet Mushu – our newest air quality advoCATe 😊
July 25, 2023 4:30 p.m.
Smoke from the Colt Fire may settle into the Seeley Lake Valley, the Swan River Valley and other small valleys leading to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy air quality tonight. The smoke should clear out again by late Wednesday morning. This pattern may repeat itself for the next few days.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
For areas farther away from the Colt Fire (Missoula, Frenchtown, Lolo), our air quality is going to depend on what Idaho and Oregon send our way. The Little Bear Fire has been smoldering in a previously burned over area, but based on heat detections, it has started picking up acreage. Aside from the possibility of an Idaho plume arriving in the area, there is general haze across the county from fires burning around the region.
Keep an eye on changing smoke conditions across the region, fire detections and smoke plumes at EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map (fire.airnow.gov). Montana DEQ also provides information about air quality at permanent monitors around the state at Montana Today’s Air. Also, with our fire danger rapidly increasing, please do your part to prevent more fires. Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. And, as always, be sure to pop on over to www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for tips and tricks to stay healthy when smoke fills the valleys!
July 24, 2023 8:30 a.m.
Smoke from the Colt Fire settled into several valleys last night and this morning, leading to Unhealthy conditions from Lake Inez through Condon early this morning. Air quality in Seeley Lake is generally Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The smoke also traveled as far south as the Potomac Valley, where conditions are generally Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, and tipped over into St. Ignatius in the Mission Valley, where conditions are also Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Due to overhead smoke mixing down to the valley floors, air quality for those near the Colt Fire may get a bit worse this morning before it gets better. Fortunately, conditions should improve later today. The high pressure ridge that caused our hot temperatures these last several days is breaking down and that will create a turbulent atmosphere, which means air will be more capable of moving up and down and shaking it all around. For the short term, this is good, because it means smoke should easily lift out of the valleys by this afternoon and folks should see decent air quality. Unfortunately, the more active atmosphere means the fires will see strong winds for a good chunk of this afternoon and a lot of tomorrow. There is a red flag warning over the Colt Fire today, with winds progressing throughout the day from the south, southwest, and west. We should expect active fire behavior and a large column of smoke. Transport winds are fast and from the southwest today, so that column is going to be booking it for the Bob Marshall Wilderness. (If you pop down this morning’s satellite photo, you can see the column has a head start. The fire burned overnight and is already sending smoke out over the Wilderness.)
This evening, smoke is likely to again impact the Highway 83 corridor. The National Weather Service is predicting continued surface breezes overnight. Those breezes are likely to be northwesterly, which could deliver smoke to Seeley and Salmon lakes. And, with the southerly winds today, there’s a decent chance the fire is going to push north, which will mean more overnight smoke for the Swan Valley, as well.
For areas farther away from the Colt Fire (Missoula, Frenchtown, Lolo), our air quality is going to depend a lot on what today’s weather brings to fires in Idaho. One of the smoke models thinks the Little Bear Fire is going to get feisty and send smoke to Lolo. The Little Bear Fire has been slowly fiddling around in a previously burned over area, but based on heat detections, it has started picking up acreage. It may see enough wind and activity today to send smoke our way, so keep an eye out. Aside from the possibility of an Idaho plume arriving in the area, there is general haze across the county from fires burning around the region. It is causing air quality in Missoula and Frenchtown to fluctuate between Good and Moderate this morning but should not be a major concern by this afternoon.
Everyone should keep an eye on changing smoke conditions at fire.airnow.gov. Also, with our fire danger rapidly increasing, please do your part to prevent more fires. Check out MTFireInfo.org for campfire restrictions, current fire information, and advice to stay safe this fire season. And, as always, be sure to pop on over to www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for tips and tricks to stay healthy when smoke fills the valleys!
In this morning’s satellite photo, you can see smoke blanketing the Swan Valley and, to a lesser extent, impacting the Seeley Lake area and filtering into the Mission Valley. Cloud cover is obscuring the Potomac Valley, but there’s smoke there, too. Also, check out the plume from Colt this morning! You don’t very often see a fully realized plume so early in the day. This photo is from 7:40 a.m. Photo credit: NASA GOES 16.
It’s going to be another hot one, today. Think cool thoughts and try to remember we were all pretty dang over this year’s long winter. (In addition to thinking cool thoughts, be sure to stay safe from the hot temperatures. In a time of heat and smoke, the heat will get you first.) Photo credit: Sarah Coefield
Breathe safe!
July 23, 2023 11:30 a.m.
The Colt Fire burning north of Seeley Lake continues to be our main smoke story for Missoula County. Its smoke pooled overnight near Summit Lake and along the Highway 83 corridor from the Seeley Lake area north to Swan Lake. As inversions broke this morning, we saw the smoke make its way to ground level. By 9 a.m., conditions became Unhealthy in Condon and Very Unhealthy at Lindbergh Lake.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Very Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid heavy or prolonged exertion and stay indoors when possible, people with asthma should follow asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors.
South of the fire, conditions have been Moderate this morning, but we may see fluctuating air quality as those inversions break (Seeley Lake hangs onto its inversion for a long time). Fortunately for the folks south of the fire (less so for those to the north), most of the overnight smoke appears to have followed the Swan drainage instead of the Clearwater drainage. Once again, we can expect air quality to improve this afternoon as the day heats up and smoke lifts up and out of our breathing space.
It will likely be another active day on the Colt Fire, but slower transport winds will create a somewhat sluggish plume, and it may not get very good lift until later this afternoon. Once it gets organized, the plume may generally head toward the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Or it will kind of hang around the area. The forecasted transport winds are slow and swirly. We’re looking at southwesterly breezes turning northerly after 5:00 p.m., and then flip-flopping between northerly and southerly heading into the evening. If a lot of smoke hangs over the area, it could mean worsening air quality this evening when mixing starts to shut down.
While Seeley Lake has so far dodged major smoke impacts from the Colt Fire, Condon has not been as lucky, and with the fire progressing both north and south over the pass near Summit Lake, we can expect smoke in the Seeley-Swan valleys for a long time. While we can look forward to decent afternoon air quality, we should anticipate worsening overnight and morning air quality in the coming days and weeks. The best way to stay healthy during a smoke event is to avoid the smoke entirely, but since that’s not always possible, a good alternative is creating a cleaner indoor air retreat. You can create a clean room in your home with a HEPA portable air cleaner or DIY fan/filter combo, or, if you have forced air, you can clean all the air in your home at once by installing high efficiency filters (preferably MERV 13) and turning on your furnace fan! We have loads of tips on cleaning indoor air in homes and businesses at www.montanawildfiresmoke.org!
Meanwhile, everyone should keep an eye on changing conditions:
- Look outside! If it looks and smells smoky, that’s a good indicator it’s time to reduce your activity levels and set up that cleaner air space. (The rule of thumb is if you can’t see five miles, the air is Unhealthy, but since mountains and dense trees tend to get in the way of a five-mile visibility radius, use good judgement!)
- Bookmark fire.airnow.gov! There are monitors and Purple Air sensors across most of the county, including along the Highway 83 corridor, and they can keep you apprised of real-time conditions.
Pay attention to how your body is responding to the smoke and try to plan outdoor recreation around the better air quality times of day. (For now, this will generally mean afternoons, so be sure to stay hydrated and dress appropriately for sun exposure. We may also continue to have cleaner early morning air for a while, so take advantage of that, as well!)
For the rest of Missoula County, we may see some haze from fires in Idaho and Oregon, but I’m not expecting major smoke impacts in outside the Highway 83 corridor, today.
The Bowles Creek Fire burning east of Hamilton has the potential to send smoke into Ravalli County this evening, and that smoke may make its way to southern Missoula County, so be alert for changing conditions tonight and tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow is a fire weather watch day, which is the excitement none of us needed in our lives. If the potentially critical fire weather arrives, we can expect active fire behavior and potentially new fire starts as thunderstorms pop up around Western Montana.
Smoke from the Colt Fire headed primarily north overnight and in the early morning hours. Happy for Seeley Lake, less happy for Condon and Lindbergh Lake. The smoke is already lifting up, and the afternoon should bring decent air quality to the valleys. The Bowles Creek Fire may send smoke into Ravalli County this evening. Photo credit: NASA GOES 16
Watch for changing conditions and squirrels! Photo credit: Sarah Coefield
Breathe safe!
July 22, 2023 11:30 a.m.
And just like that, it’s fire season. The Colt Fire burning north of Seeley Lake is currently about 1500 acres. It continued to burn overnight, and there is a lot of smoke piling up in the Summit Lake area. As valley inversion break along the Hwy 83 corridor, the smoke is mixing down into residents’ breathing space. Conditions are likely to deteriorate in the late morning/early afternoon. Air quality is Unhealthy in Lindbergh Lake and may soon hit Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (or worse) in Seeley Lake and Condon (conditions are generally Moderate in Condon and Seeley Lake this morning, with Condon just a tad worse than Seeley Lake). Air quality is currently Good in Missoula and Frenchtown.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
In case you’ve been wondering, “Sensitive Groups” is a catchall for children and youths (anyone under 18), pregnant people, older people, people with heart and lung disease, outdoor workers, and people with substandard housing or little access to clean air. So, you know, a lot of people. And remember, even if you don’t fall into the “Sensitive Groups” category, smoke is still bad for you. This fire season is just getting started. As it drags on, you may find your tolerance for smoke exposure diminishing.
The good news is this smoke hit should be temporary. As the day warms and convection sets in, the smoke will lift back up. The bad news (there’s almost always bad news) is that this cycle is likely to repeat until the fire goes out. We’ll see a nice plume in the afternoon that sends smoke out of Missoula County, and then overnight, as mixing shuts down, smoke will drain down the Clearwater and Swan drainages to hang over Seeley Lake and Condon. This morning, the smoke hovered above the inversion, and did not impact areas until inversions broke. It is possible that as the fire season continues, smoke will slide in under the inversion and we’ll see much worse morning conditions.
If you’re new to smoke forecasts, or want a quick refresher, here’s why the nightly inversion can be very good or very bad: Inversions are formed every night as cool air settles in the valley floor (It comes down from the mountains, much like bears after they’ve eaten the high elevation berry crop. Only less fluffy.) That cool air can’t go anywhere until the ground heats up, and anything in that inversion layer is trapped until the inversion breaks. Nothing goes up, and nothing comes down. Now, if the cool air is also clean air, that’s hunky dory. We all get to spend time in a nice clean air bubble. If, however, there is pollution created within that cool air, we have to sit in it until the sun gets a good enough angle to heat the ground. The warm ground heats the air, the newly warmed air rises, and mixing sets in. If the inversion was a cool layer of clean air under layer of smoke, that means inversion break will mix smoke down to the ground. If the inversion layer is full of smoke and there’s clean air above it, inversion break will mix clean air down.
Today, inversion break is a bad thing.
As the day wears on, the Colt Fire is likely to put together an impressive plume, and northwesterly transport winds will take it over Seeley Lake. It should stay nice and high, so afternoon air quality is likely to be pretty ok. After the sun sets, the smoke will be unable to rise very high, and we may see deteriorating air quality as continued northwesterly breezes push smoke toward Seeley Lake.
It is too soon to know if this will be at all similar to 2017. We do know having a fire so near populated areas and straddling two river drainages is not ideal. For now, if you live along the Highway 83 corridor, please prepare to clean your indoor air and pay attention to changing conditions. There are a lot of great tips for creating clean indoor air spaces at www.montanawildfiresmoke.org, and EPA’s Fire and Smoke map (fire.airnow.gov) is a fantastic resource for watching changing conditions. We recently set up Purple Air sensors in Condon and several locations around Seeley Lake, so you can get a pretty good idea what’s happening in the region by checking out fire.airnow.gov.
When smoke clears in the afternoons, take advantage of it! Air out your home and enjoy time outdoors! (I know the crazy hot temperatures this week are a complicating factor. They will also mean people will have to deal with heat and smoke at the same time. A lot of us don’t have air conditioning, and that means opening windows at night. For most people, heat is more immediately dangerous than smoke. It’s awful, but you must cool down your home, even if that means letting smoke inside. Once you’ve reached a cooler indoor temperature, you can close doors and windows and turn on air cleaners with HEPA filters (or a snazzy DIY fan/filter combo!), and clean the air in your home.)
Now, the Colt Fire is not the only fire in our region. There are several fires burning in Oregon, Idaho and Washington. The high pressure ridge responsible for our very hot temperatures is also directing air from Oregon and Idaho straight toward us. Currently, I’m not expecting much more than haze from the fires burning to our southwest. (Yesterday, the largest, most exciting plumes on the satellite for the continental United States were both in Montana. Go us!)
The Bowles Creek and Daly Creek fires burning in the Sapphires east of Hamilton are unlikely to impact Missoula County today, but they are likely to be players in Ravalli County (and to a lesser extent, Missoula County) air quality as the summer wears on.
Smoke from the Colt Fire is seen here mushed all over the Highway 83 corridor. The fire is generally in the Rainy and Summit lakes area. Later today, it will likely send out a nice plume and it may impact Seeley Lake tonight. The Bowles Creek and Daly Creek fires will be sending smoke toward Drummond and Philipsburg today. Photo credit: NASA GOES 18.
Already know everything about keeping your indoor air clean? Tell your friends! Photo credit: Sarah Coefield.
Breath safe!
May 20, 2023 11:30 a.m.
We’re in for another day of faded views as Canadian smoke lingers like an oblivious houseguest. We’ve been casually edging toward the door and offering leftovers, but it has so many stories to tell.
In this case, the story is that of high pressure. Here’s the thing about high pressure: It’s generally sluggish. The breezes both near ground level and aloft are present, but slow. While the breezes will eventually push our overhead smoke out of the area, there is still a lot of smoke west of us that will take its place. Fortunately, the worst of the smoke is east of our area and shouldn’t be coming back our way. We have another day or so of this haze left, and then we’ll see a nice pattern shift to cooler weather, a more energetic atmosphere, and southwesterly breezes that will bring us cleaner air.
Air quality in Missoula County is currently Moderate but may reach Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups today.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
In general, today will look better than yesterday, tomorrow will look better than today, and by Monday we can get back to our Montana spring.
Necessary caveat: The fires in Canada are numerous and huge. Some of them may be hit with a lot of rain next week, which would be fantastic. I’m hoping they slow down and give our friends to the north a break. It’s too soon to tell if they will quiet down enough to cease being a smoke threat for the U.S. While our predominant weather pattern is southwesterly flow that brings us fun thunderstorms in the spring and terrifying thunderstorms in the summer, we do, as evidenced this week, occasionally see winds dive down from the north. We’ll be watching and updating you as needed over the coming weeks and months.
For now, hang in there, and prepare for our fire season. Be sure to check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips to create cleaner air in your home or business and keep an eye on https://fire.airnow.gov/ for the latest air quality data!
There’s still a decent amount of smoke overhead that will slowly move east today and tomorrow as the high pressure ridge traverses our area. By Monday, we’ll start to see cleaner air headed our way under southwesterly flow. For folks east of the Divide, the Canadian smoke is making another plunge southward. It’s probably not a great day for a trip across the mountains. Source: NASA GOES 18
Just some perspective. It’s a lot of smoke, you guys. I am cheering hard for team Rain-On-The-Fires next week! NASA GOES 18
I’m not sure that’s where they hide the clean air, kitty. Source: Sarah Coefield
May 19, 2023 10:15 a.m.
The air’s not great, ya’ll. Yesterday, we swung between Moderate and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) air quality and threw in a few dalliances with Unhealthy air for good measure.
Conditions generally worsened overnight and we woke up to USG-Unhealthy air quality in most of the county. Currently, air quality is generally Unhealthy across the county.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
While we are no longer downwind of the Canadian fires, there is a lot of smoke lingering throughout the region, and we’re going to be sitting in it for at least one more day. The high pressure ridge responsible for the warmer temperatures and clear skies is rotating the air over Oregon, Washington, Idaho and western Montana in a clockwise direction. This means the smoke lingering over these states is going to be slowly swirling overhead. As the ridge moves east the smoke should push off and out of our region. Unfortunately, it might take most of Saturday for that to happen.
For some good news, the smoke heading our way from Washington has been considerably less awful than the morass over Montana. If we’re lucky, Saturday impacts will be primarily confined to haze.
As the inversions break in our valleys this morning, we’re starting to see vertical mixing. The smoke trapped near the valley floor is lifting, and the smoke overhead is coming down. There is a lot of smoke overhead, which means we may see conditions get worse before they get better today. Eventually, the thick smoke in our region should start to be pushed east, and west winds will usher in less-thick smoke. By the end of the weekend, we should be out of the smoke entirely, and it doesn’t look like we’ll see a return to smoky conditions any time soon. We hope.
To sum up:
- This morning: Gross air.
- Later this morning: Grosser air.
- This afternoon: Probably still gross.
- Late afternoon: Maybe a bit better?
- This evening: Probably less gross
- Saturday: Hey, it’s haze!
- Sunday: Maybe no longer super hazy
- Monday: Rain?!?
Try to limit your exposure to the smoke and pay attention to changing conditions. Be sure to check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips to stay healthy during smoke events and keep an eye on changing conditions at https://fire.airnow.gov/!
Smoke over the region will slowly move over Western Montana throughout the next day or so. Fortunately, the smoke over Washington isn’t as dense as the smoke over Montana. Source: NASA GOES 18
There is a massive amount of smoke in Canada, but it should stay well north of us. Also, good news for our friends to the north: forecasts are suggesting a lot of rain is going to hit some of those fires over the next week. Where and how much precipitation is never a guarantee, but I’m hopeful it will slow the fires down. Image source: NASA GOES 18
The smoke heading our way from Washington has been creating generally Moderate conditions, so I’m hopeful today is the end of Unhealthy air quality in our area. Source: EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map
Before you know it, you’ll be back out in the hills eating all the grass. That’s what hikes are for, right? Source: Sarah Coefield
Breathe safe!
May 18, 2023 11:30 a.m.
We’re in for another hazy day. Smoke from Canadian wildfires remains spread across much of the northern and Midwest states. While we’re still sitting at Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in most of Missoula County, conditions get considerably worse as you look east of the Continental Divide. If you have friends or family in the Dakotas or Minnesota, do them a solid and send them note about filtering their air. Even folks who aren’t from Montana can learn a thing or two from www.montanawildfiresmoke.org!
Air quality is currently Moderate in Missoula and Frenchtown and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Seeley Lake and the Potomac Valley. Air quality may reach Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse throughout Missoula County later today or this evening.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
With this much smoke covering the country, we won’t see clear skies today. Upper-level winds will be primarily from the north again, which is unfortunately where the smoke is coming from. Starting tomorrow, we’ll see more favorable wind directions, which is great; that will start the process of moving smoke away from our area. Note that we won’t immediately have clean air. You can see on the satellite photo below that a lot of smoke is now west, northwest and southwest of us. When the wind shifts on Friday to a more westerly direction, it’s going to push that smoke back toward us. The good news is once that smoke clears out, there’s nothing but clean air behind it. We should have much better conditions over the weekend!
While we’re mostly dealing with a thick haze, heading north (you know, the direction the smoke is coming from), air quality deteriorates. Conditions in Flathead County are Unhealthy, and we may see some of that smoke make its way toward us later today or tonight. Keep an eye on changing conditions at https://fire.airnow.gov/ and take steps to clean your indoor air. If it gets smokier outside or you find yourself experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease while bustling about outdoors, reduce your activity levels. You can crush that ride in a couple days.
Hang in there. I know none of us wanted wildfire smoke in May (or ever, I suppose). This is a good reminder that we live in a region that is more and more prone to catching on fire. We don’t know yet what to expect when we reach our fire season, but I recommend stocking up on filters now and making a plan to create cleaner indoor air. This May smoke may have caught us by surprise, but when July and August roll around, you can look outside, turn on your air cleaning solution, and say, “Not today, smoke.” (Really rolls off the tongue.) Anyway! Find tips online at www.montanawildfiresmoke.org!
There’s smoke in every direction. We’ve got another day or two of this to go before it move out of our area. The gnarly white stuff over the mountains in the photo is the snowpack. Yay, snowpack! Source: NASA GOES 18
The smoke reaches from northern Canada to much of the U.S. The good news is the smoke will start being pushed out of our area by the weekend. NASA GOES 18
Most of Montana is seeing smoke impacts, but so far, Ravalli County is getting off pretty light. It’s a nice day for a quick road trip! Also, send kind thoughts (and tips!) to the good people of the Midwest who probably have no idea what to do with the murk that’s descended on them. Source: EPA Fire and Smoke Map: https://fire.airnow.gov/#
There’s no shame in reducing your activity levels and taking breaks when it’s smoky outside. Pay attention to how you are feeling and treat yourself with kindness. The fine particulate matter in smoke is bad for you, and you can reduce exposure by slowing down. (Yes, it’s because that way you’ll be breathing less. Do not hold your breath!) Source: Sarah Coefield
May 17, 2023 5:00 p.m.
Surprise Spring Smoke Edition!
If you were wondering, this hazy May day comes courtesy of the fires burning in Canada. The fires have been burning for a couple weeks, but this is the first we’ve seen of their smoke. Last night, a cold front dipped into Montana and brought Canadian smoke with it. The worst of the smoke stayed generally east of the Continental Divide, but continued northerly winds delivered smoke into Missoula County this morning. Conditions are generally Moderate in Missoula and Frenchtown and are currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in the Potomac Valley and Seeley Lake.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
While we mostly have an unexpected haze and some glowy light effects in Missoula this afternoon, smoke models are suggesting conditions may deteriorate later this evening, when winds will shift to come from the east and push smoke our direction. Most of Missoula County may see Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse air quality overnight. Fortunately, impacts look to be short-lived, as our overhead winds will return to our prevailing southwesterly direction on Friday, keeping us out of Canadian smoke.
Keep an eye on changing conditions at https://fire.airnow.gov/. Also, while it’s never great to have smoke in our valleys, so far, we’ve gotten off mighty light compared to our neighbors in the north. You might want to keep an eye on the fires and smoke conditions before heading to Banff in the near future.
This brief smoke event serves as a good reminder to prepare for smoke before our typical wildfire season begins in July! Stock up on filters for your HVAC, portable air cleaner(s) or DIY fan/filter combos and make a plan to create cleaner indoor air in your home. We have loads of resources available at www.montanawildfiresmoke.org to help you select and implement the best air cleaning solution for your home!
In this deeply unsatisfying satellite photo, you can kind of see smoke under a bunch of clouds in our area. The smoke just east of us is likely to head our way this evening. Source: GOES 18
Here you can see the Canadian smoke spreading out over the northern states. There are so many fires in Alberta, you guys. Source: GOES 18
The smoke models show worsening conditions for Missoula County as we near midnight. We may still have smoke tomorrow, but should improve as we round the corner toward the weekend. Source: NOAA
Good news! This is a short smoke event! We’ll get back to our spring flowers soon. Source: Sarah Coefield
Breath Safe!
Sarah Coefield
October 13, 2022 5:00 p.m.
Smoke from a prescribed fire at Lindbergh Lake continues to impact air quality in Seeley Lake this afternoon. The smoke first hit the area on Sunday, and has made its way back into the Seeley Lake valley this afternoon. To complicate matters, there is a new wildfire (Sneylman) burning across the ridge from the prescribed fire, and it will also start sending smoke toward Seeley Lake today and tomorrow. Northwesterly breezes will deliver smoke to the Seeley Lake area and high pressure will trap it in the valley.
Air quality in Lindbergh Lake will likely continue to be Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy overnight while we wait for a cold front to drop precipitation on the prescribed burn.
Air quality in Condon will likely continue to be affected by smoke from that fire, as well.
September 16, 2022 2:00 p.m.
Going into the afternoon, a persistent haze lingering over the area kept air quality a murky Moderate across the county. It’s a wild weather ride day, though, and that could help get the air moving by this evening.
At one point this morning, the National Weather Service’s forecast for today included haze, smoke, showers, rain, thunderstorms, sunshine, calm winds, 18 mph wind gusts, and fog. It read like the narrative equivalent of a shrug emoji. Predicting the future is hard, you guys. (Also, active weather patterns can throw a lot at you in the same day.)
As inversion broke around the county this afternoon, we have seen their air quality bounce around from Moderate to Slightly Worse Moderate then back to Moderate as the vertical air movement pushed the haze around. Based on the light overhead smoke, I’m not anticipating the air the deviate from Moderate conditions across the county today. That said, areas affected by the storm system traveling through the region this afternoon could see some better air clearing based on strong valley wind movement and the potential for cleaner air to be ushered into the region on the heels of the storms.
We’ll be under a westerly flow aloft through today and into Saturday, which will keep smoke from Oregon and California fires south of our area and will deliver (marginally) cleaner air from Washington. Starting Saturday evening, high overhead winds may start delivering smoke from the California Mosquito Fire to Idaho and Western Montana. It’s too soon to know what, if any, impact that smoke will have on ground level. Whatever impacts do occur should be short lived, as the overhead winds will become northwesterly on Monday and we’ll get a dose of Canadian air to fight off the California intrusion. (Canadians make lovely neighbors. Except when they send us smoke in the spring, which is just a whole extra level of nonsense.)
Here's a caveat for you, though: There is some smoke in Canada just north of us. Also, there’s disagreement among the models regarding how far south that Canadian air is going to dip into Montana. If it just brushes along the border, we’ll continue to see air from California head our way. At that point, one of the driving forces in our air quality will be fire behavior, and again, there is some good news on that front even in California. The reason their air will be pointed toward Montana is a cool, precipitation-laden low pressure system that is going to swing through the region and potentially drop wetting rain on the Mosquito Fire. The counter-clockwise rotational movement of that low will send their air our way, but the amount of smoke we’re looking at should decrease as the week wears on.
So, looking forward, today has some stubborn haze that may finally be pushed east and replaced by cleaner air this afternoon through tomorrow morning. Saturday evening, we may see some high overhead smoke from California enter our region and it will either only stick around until Monday or it will continue through the start of the week. However, given the amount of moisture dropping on fires across the West, smoke impacts are likely to continue diminishing into the near future. We may see high pressure rebound in our area at the end of next week, but at that point, the fires that would most benefit from drier, warmer conditions may have slowed down enough to be less of a smoke threat.
Regardless, we’ll be keeping an eye on the air quality and keeping you advised of current and projected smoke impacts.
In this morning’s satellite photo, you can see smoke from the large active fires in Oregon and California as well as a haze across the region. Photo Source: GOES Image Viewer
Breathe safe!
September 15, 2022 12:00 p.m.
Bit by bit, it’s been getting better out there. Last night, the smoke entrenched in the Missoula Valley finally became unstuck and we saw some of our most significant air quality improvements in days. (I mean, yeah, it’s still kind of gross outside, but it’s so much better than yesterday! Still, please don’t go around breathing more of this than you have to. Just because you can kind of tell the mountains are there today, it doesn’t mean it’s time to go frolic in them, yet.) The Bitterroot had the most impressive air quality improvements overnight thanks to quieter local fires and a small storm system that came through and moved the air around. The Hamilton area briefly flirted with Good air quality around midnight last night, which sounds like a truly marvelous fling and worth staying up for.
Alas, this on-again-off-again smoke dalliance is lingering for another day. While conditions are improved compared to yesterday, we still have overhead smoke region-wide, which means we can expect continued smoke impacts for the day.
Air quality is currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups across the county and some areas may see Unhealthy air quality before the day is done. (On the flipside, some areas might improve to Moderate, so be watchful for changing conditions!) For Good air quality today, you can drive east to Miles City or west to Seattle. If you head west, the best gas prices have often been in Post Falls, Idaho right before you cross the state line, and then in George, Washington.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Mixing heights aren’t super high today and the overhead winds are slow, so we don’t have a great shot at cleaner skies this afternoon. Small weather systems are moving in from our southwest, which may translate into showers or thunderstorms later today. With no strong surface winds in the forecast, this mostly translates into further reduced fire activity (yay!) and dampened smoke (yuck). Still, with less smoke left in the area, I don’t expect today to be nearly as smoky/drizzly/miserable as we were earlier this week.
Smoke from California fires is generally pointed our direction, but it’s not moving very fast, and the long-range atmospheric models are keeping that smoke south of us. By tomorrow, we’ll be downwind of Washington, and there just is not a lot of fire activity left over there to send us any worrying plumes. Also, Washington’s overhead air is less murky than ours today, which means we may have better air quality heading into the weekend.
The Missoula Valley inversion may last late into the afternoon and we’ll have generally stable conditions for most of the day. Once the inversion breaks, depending on the amount of overhead smoke at that time, conditions on the ground may get a little worse before they get better.
Keep an eye on current conditions at fire.airnow.gov and be sure to visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips to get you through this fire season and prepared for the next one!
We still have smoke over nearly all of Montana and Idaho. You can see cleaner air north of the Cedar Creek Fire and in parts of Nevada and California. The less murky air over Washington should be heading our way tomorrow. Photo Source: GOES 18
It’s slowly getting better out there, but today’s a better squirrel watching day than squirrel chasing day. If you can, wait for the air quality to get back to the yellow (Moderate) or green (Good) before resuming strenuous outdoor activity and head indoors if it hits red (Unhealthy)! Photo Credit: Sarah Coefield
Breathe safe!
September 14, 2022 12:00 p.m.
Well, it wasn’t quite pea soup out there this morning, but it was definitely coming up on a bisque. The National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory for visibility down to a half mile or less in Missoula and the Bitterroot in the wee hours of the morning. Now, if that had all been smoke, we would have been in Hazardous air quality. Fortunately, water droplets contributed a fair amount of scenery blocking and our smoke remained at Unhealthy levels. (Not that that’s good, but it could have been worse!)
Fun fact: Pea soup fog is a term used to described bad smog events, including London’s Killer Fog (or Great Smog) of 1952, in which a multi-day winter inversion set up over London and all the smoke from industrial and residential coal fires was trapped in the fog under the inversion. There were a lot of nasty chemicals in the coal smoke (including sulfur dioxide), and the build up of pollution led to thousands of deaths. This event led to the U.K.’s 1956 Clean Air Act, which predated the U.S. Clean Air Act by seven years. (A polluted fog in Donora, Pennsylvania that killed 20 people and harmed many thousands more in 1948 helped trigger the US CAA adoption, but it took us 15 years to get there.) The more you know!
Anyway.
We are still socked in with smoke in Missoula and Frenchtown, where conditions continue to be Unhealthy. Air quality is considerably better as you leave the valley and head toward Seeley Lake. Conditions are generally Moderate in the Potomac Valley and the Seeley Swan. It looks like air quality also improves as you head east along I-90 toward Clinton and north toward Arlee (conditions are generally Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in those directions although we’ve also seen some Purple Air sensors tilt toward Unhealthy.)
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Conditions in the Missoula area will stay stable today until (unless) the fog burns off and some darn good mixing set ups or a new airmass comes in and whooshes it all away. We don’t have any significant cloud cover this morning, so the sun may have a chance of warming things up a bit today and letting the air move around.
Happily, we are not currently downwind of any plumes. There is some overhead smoke that likely came from fires in Oregon and Washington, so if mixing sets up today, we may see some continued impacts as that smoke gets pulled to ground level.
The inversion in Missoula may not break until late this afternoon, and both surface and transport winds are looking slow. If a clean patch of air hasn’t moved overhead, we’ll see continued smoky conditions in Missoula. I’m hopeful it will be less smoky, though. More of a hearty broth, really.
Our local fires are all fogged up this morning, as are the fires in Oregon. It’s possible a fire will wake up and send a plume our way, but the more likely scenario is those fires will skunk around a bit for the day and have more localized smoke impacts. (The Cedar Creek Fire’s projected behavior is “creeping and smoldering” for at least the next 48 hours. The Trail Ridge Fire, which has sent a lot of smoke up the Bitterroot over the past week or so, is also supposed to have minimal fire growth.)
The long range forecast still doesn’t have any strong winds, but there will be showers and thunderstorms moving through the region and that will help tamp down fire activity and should significantly reduce future smoke impacts.
For today, plan on continued smoke, but with potential for slow improvement in the afternoon and heading into Thursday.
I know, with the cooler temperatures and precipitation in the forecast, it’s hard to think about wildfire smoke, but this is another day to avoid breathing the outside air if you can. Keep your indoor air clean and limit time spent outdoors.
Also, pro tip: If you are using a HEPA portable air cleaner in your home and it has a little air quality sensor light and turns on and off based on what it thinks the air quality is, don’t trust it. Those things are fun, but they are not accurate. You need to keep your machines turned as high as you can tolerate to effectively clean the indoor air. “Auto” is not really going to cut it when it’s this smoky outside. Find more great tips at www.montanawildfiresmoke.org!
You got this!
In this morning’s satellite photo, you can see smoky fog built up in the valleys under a layer of overhead smoke. When that fog lifts, the overhead smoke may come down to visit. Photo source: GOES 18
Cloud cover, fog and precipitation have led to reduced fire activity. I’m not expecting fires to get super perky today, but if they do, we will be downwind of fires in Oregon and Idaho. Photo Source: GOES 18
Another day of indoor play. Photo credit: Sarah Coefield
September 13, 2022 5:30 p.m.
Before you read on, know it is better north of the Missoula Valley. The Highway 83 corridor is doing pretty ok!
If you are in a smoky area, please try to avoid spending time outdoors and think twice about strenuous activities. The fine particulate matter in smoke affects your respiratory, cardiovascular and immune functions. The indoor air is not necessarily much cleaner than the outdoor air unless you or the building manager are actively taking steps to clean it (find tips for cleaning the indoor air here: www.montanawildfiresmoke.org). If your lungs feel like an ashtray, your heart rate is elevated even while resting, and if you generally are feeling cruddy, please find some cleaner indoor air and slow your roll for a bit to give your body a chance to recover. End of lecture.
Air quality is currently Unhealthy in Missoula and Frenchtown and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Seeley Lake (trending toward Moderate!). Based on Purple Air data, it may even be Moderate in the Swan Valley! Air quality is still Very Unhealthy in the Bitterroot Valley.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Very Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid heavy or prolonged exertion and stay indoors when possible, people with asthma should follow asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors.
And now -
I am so sorry. The air is still bad in and south of the Missoula area, and the National Weather Service has issued a pessimistic forecast wherein they lament probable smoke impacts lingering for the next 2-3 days. You can read the narrative here.
The rain was never a guarantee of cleaner air. We really needed lateral overhead air movement coupled with dramatic up and down mixing to get this smoke to move. Instead, we have very calm conditions and a minimal vertical temperature gradient for air to move around in. The smoke just never got much lift today. On a day with good convective lift, you see dramatic temperature swings from morning to evening. Today, the temperature readings barely wiggled.
This was always a risk. We knew today’s hoped-for instability could be undone by the very smoke we’re eager to be rid of.
And tomorrow, well, tomorrow could start off foggy, especially near the rivers. Freezing fogs are actually kind of great, because they use particulate matter as a nucleus for little bits of frost to form and the pollution gets pulled out of the air. A non-freezing fog, though, just means visibility is going to drop really low. The NWS sees the possibility of a superfog, which is not something we tend to see around here. Superfogs (fog+smoke) drop visibility to dangerously low levels (less than 10 feet). If superfog forms in your area, think long and hard before getting in a vehicle and then don’t do it. I’m not sure we’ll see a superfog in Missoula County, since usually it requires warm humid smoke from smoldering vegetation and we don’t have any proximate smoldering fires. Folks nearer active fires are more likely to be impacted with superfog. Regardless, pay attention to visibility conditions in the morning and be safe!
We’re seeing a small amount of air movement in Missoula and Frenchtown on the RAWS stations, so conditions may vary a bit this evening, but at this point, I expect Wednesday will start out smoky again. Tomorrow’s weather forecast looks a bit more active than today turned out to be, so we may start to see some slow improvements.
There are still no valley scouring winds in the forecast, nor are there incoming cold fronts. We are hanging our hope on general atmospheric instability that may or may not be coming in the form of thunderstorms around the region.
Hang in there and hug your air cleaner. Today has been disappointing, but this is not a forever situation. As dour as their forecast narrative was this afternoon, the good folks at the National Weather Service perked back up toward the end, because the long-range forecasts are suggesting a much more active weather pattern on the way (this weekend or next week).
Hopefully, before long, we can all get back outside.
September 13, 2022 12:30 p.m.
Smoke remained entrenched in the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys overnight, and we woke up to conditions very similar to last night. Air quality is currently Unhealthy in Missoula and Frenchtown and worse as you head south. Conditions are generally Very Unhealthy south of Lolo.
The situation improves as you leave the Missoula area. Heading up the Highway 200 corridor, air quality is looking considerably better in the Potomac Valley, where, if the Purple Air sensor is to be believed, air quality is Moderate(!!). Seeley Lake is currently sitting at Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and air quality in the Swan Valley trending that direction. (I didn’t say it was *good* outside Missoula. The smoke’s all over the place, yo.)
Air quality also improves as you head east along I-90, but you won’t see any good air until you’re about to North Dakota.
We’re out from under the nexus of the high pressure ridge, and this morning’s Missoula inversion was considerably weaker than any I’ve seen lately, which means we’re likely to see more atmospheric mixing today than we have since Saturday. This is where I need to point out that atmospheric mixing is best when there is clean air to mix down to the valley floor.
Unfortunately, we have generally sluggish overhead winds and I’ll be honest, I have no idea how much overhead smoke we have or how evenly distributed it is across the county. Cloud cover is all kinds of inconvenient for smoke forecasting. The HRRR Smoke model has been down for most of the day, but its 3 a.m. run suggested thicker overhead smoke in the Missoula area than in the more northern parts of the county. If it is still smoky up there, you should know the transport winds over Missoula are supposed to max out at 6 miles per hour late this afternoon. Now, that’s a decent jogging speed for those of us who don’t enjoy running, but it is not going to win any races. So yes, we have some atmospheric mixing, but if we don’t actually have fresh overhead air, and the dirty overhead air we do have is slogging along like a 40-something hockey enthusiast making herself run because endurance is important, but holy Hannah are the tiny muscles in her hips over this particular life choice, then our valley air quality won’t improve much. Tomorrow will bring much zippier overhead winds.
The weak weather system moving overhead is increasing humidity around the region and dropping small amounts of precipitation over the greater Missoula area today. Unfortunately, this is currently just giving us that soggy smoke situation I warned you about yesterday. A little bit of precipitation is nice, but you still can’t see the mountains. The National Weather Service is of the opinion we may see better convection and precipitation chances this afternoon, and as we see more and more atmospheric instability, we will see less and less of this entrenched smoke. (Because it will become unentrenched. Which is a word, according to spellcheck. It surprised me, too!) This afternoon, we may replace our thick ground level smoke with hopefully less thick overhead smoke. (Note the built-up smoke over the area could actually suppress convection and reduce afternoon precipitation chances. Also, less convection means less air movement, overall. Smoke: Now with more bad news!)
We may see smoke from Washington and Oregon enter our airspace later today, so that’s another thing to be aware of.
Absent another high pressure ridge (and once this built-up smoke moves east), going forward our smoke impacts will be largely driven by fire activity, and there are signs some fires may start quieting down. A low pressure system is going to drop down the Pacific Coast this weekend, and it will bring cooler temperatures and a small amount of precipitation to the fires in Oregon. (The precipitation chances over the Oregon fires are lower than I’d like to see, but a general cool down can help tamp down fire activity.) Meanwhile, the Mill Lake and Blodgett Lake fires outside Hamilton will have cloud cover, relatively cool temperatures and some humidity today (possibly even some precipitation), which can reduce fire activity.
The National Weather Service is giving us a forecast that could drop rain on the fires burning in our area this weekend. It’s too far out to know what’s actually going to happen, but it’s nice to have hope.
I’m expecting a smoky day with gradually improving air quality today and tomorrow. We *might* be through the worst of it after today, folks. There’s always a chance temperatures will rebound and fires will wake up over the next couple weeks, but the later we get into September, the less likely that scenario becomes.
For now, stay inside in a place with cleaner indoor air as much as possible and please don’t run around in the smoke if you can avoid it. The air is bad today and the less of it you bring into your body, the better.
Be sure to visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips to navigate these smoky days and watch fire.airnow.gov to monitor changing conditions!
The satellite photo is entirely clouds over our area today, so here’s a screengrab from fire.airnow.gov. Orange is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, red is Unhealthy and purple is Very Unhealthy.
We have a lot of clouds over Idaho and Western Montana, but you can see smoke in Washington and Oregon and it may head our direction later today. Air quality under that smoke is currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Unhealthy in Oregon and Washington. Here’s the satellite loop you can use to watch its progress: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G17§or=pnw&band=GEOCOLOR&length=24
It's another inside day for furbabies. (And human babies. And everyone, really.) Hang in there, buddy. The smoke won’t last forever. Photo credit: Sarah Coefield
Breathe safe!
September 12, 2022 4:50 p.m.
I like a good twilight glow as much as anyone, but this many hours of dim, glowy light is more menacing than romantic. Also, the air’s bad. I mean, it’s been bad all day, but it’s been getting worse in the Missoula area (and south of Missoula) this afternoon.
I made a satellite loop to show you one of the culprits: https://col.st/s0sk8
In case you aren’t sure what you’re looking at, the Blodgett Lake Fire in the Bitterroots has been actively burning this afternoon and its plume caught some southerly transport winds that sent that smoke straight toward the Missoula Valley. Conditions in Missoula are still Unhealthy, but areas south of Missoula, including Lolo, Florence and Stevensville are generally Very Unhealthy. Missoula is currently trending toward Very Unhealthy. The rest of Missoula County is still sitting pretty stable at Unhealthy.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Very Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid heavy or prolonged exertion and stay indoors when possible, people with asthma should follow asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors.
The Boulder Lake Fire has also been actively burning today, and based on readings at nearby mountaintop weather stations, it is likely sending its plume west. But I can’t see it on the satellite on account of all the smoke and clouds in the way. (There are a lot of tiny clouds pretending to be smoke plumes in the satellite photo.)
We may see some overnight precipitation this evening in the form of light showers. This could help knock some of the smoke down, but it might also just mean we have soggy smoke in the morning. It is the worst breakfast cereal.
There are no valley scouring winds in the immediate forecast, so for any real relief, we’ll be primarily reliant on the overhead smoke slowly moving east of our area and upwind fires quieting down. The clouds and light precipitation passing overhead don’t have any clean air behind them, which suggests we likely won’t see any dramatic overnight air quality changes. It may take some time for the air to improve. (That being said, the air outside the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys is a wee bit better than what we currently have, so even if overhead smoke keeps moving in, it might be less thick than what we currently are dealing with.)
Fortunately, we’re supposed to get out from under the high pressure ridge tomorrow, which means smoke will have an easier time moving out of the area. A more active weather pattern will mean our smoke impacts will likely (hopefully) be more intermittent after today.
Expect continue smoke impacts tonight and potential smoke impacts tomorrow morning. Unless the Blodgett Lake, Mill Lake and Trail Ridge fires see a whole bunch of precipitation, the Bitterroot Valley will likely have a very smoky night and morning.
And here’s my huge caveat: There are a ton of clouds in the satellite photos today, so all forecasts are hand wavey at best. Fires typically lose some momentum when it’s cloudy, so I’m guessing the Idaho and eastern Oregon fires are putting out a bit less smoke today. The Cedar Creek Fire in central Oregon only just woke up, and it looks like the fires in Washington are somewhat quiet today. But again: This is very much a guessing game when I can’t see what’s happening and there are no strong cold fronts or incoming low pressure systems or scouring winds in the forecast. So it might get better! And it might not. We’ll know more tomorrow!
Smoke and clouds abound this afternoon. This satellite photo was captured while the Blodgett Lake Fire smoke was heading straight for Missoula. The fires were pretty active today despite the thick overhead smoke cover, which means valley locations are likely in for a smoky night. Photo Source: GOES 18
The Blodgett may be the source of our smoky woes this afternoon, but when the smoke clears, it’s always worth a visit. It will be interesting to see how this most recent fire affects the landscape. In this photo, you can see recovering vegetation behind the cat and a massive tree with burn scars on the right. And yes, when the smoke is awful I resort to cat photos to cheer me up. You’re welcome.
Breathe safe!
September 12, 2022 11:15 a.m.
Today’s theme is stability gone bad. Or maybe too much of a bad thing. Regardless, we have a lot of smoke piled up across the region, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Air quality is currently Unhealthy across Missoula County. It gets worse as you go farther south: Conditions are currently Very Unhealthy in Hamilton. If you’re in the mood for a road trip, the nearest Good air is east of Billings.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Very Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should avoid heavy or prolonged exertion and stay indoors when possible, people with asthma should follow asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors.
We are currently sitting under a high pressure ridge, and it is giving the weather models conniptions when it comes to forecasting transport wind direction. The air under a high pressure ridge rotates in a clockwise direction. If you aren’t at the center of the ridge, the overhead air direction is predictable. If you are in the center of the ridge, it just gets swirly. And folks, we are all the mayors of Swirly Town today. According to various atmospheric models, overhead winds are, at times, going to be coming at us from the east, southeast, south, southwest, west, or northwest. But you know something? It doesn’t matter which of these directions are correct or if all of them are correct, because there is no good direction for the wind to blow. The smoke is everywhere.
Another side effect of the high pressure is a very prolonged inversion. (The smoke cover contributes to this, as well.) The inversion isn’t likely to break until late this afternoon. When that inversion breaks, we may have a repeat of yesterday, in that conditions just get that much worse. Our evening air quality depends on how much smoke is overhead around 4:00 p.m. this afternoon and how much of that smoke gets pulled down to ground level.
Tomorrow will also be smoky.
Pay attention to how your body is responding to the smoke and be gentle with yourself. The air is bad and has been bad for a while now. The longer a smoke event drags on, the more the smoke is likely to affect you. Also, please remember that smoke affects everything with lungs. This is not a great time to take your doggo on a long run. We will hopefully have better air toward the end of the week, so pace yourself and your furbabies and plan on spending quality time outside when the air is less chewy.
Here are links to guidance for outdoor activities for kids and the general public. Also, be sure to visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for tips on how to clean your indoor air!
Finally, some potentially less awful news: The lengthy inversion and thick smoke cover may tamp down our local fire activity today, and there are some clouds and rain showers over Washington and Oregon this morning, which could help slow those smoke makers. In addition, the high pressure ridge should flatten by Wednesday, which will allow better air movement and hopefully give a shot at cleaner air.
In case you didn’t read yesterday’s update (it was a weekend, I get it. Not many people want to read a smoke treatise on a Sunday), I am reposting my discussion about inversions and Purple Air sensors below (if you did read it, go ahead and skip down to the photos!)
And now, a quick interlude about inversions: A temperature inversion exists when the ground level air is colder than the air above it. If you look at the weather stations around the region, you can see the temperature in the middle of Missoula (at our Boyd Park monitor, in fact), is several degrees cooler than temperatures in the mountains. The inversion won’t break until the sun warms the ground enough to warm the air above it to a temperature higher than the layer of overhead air. Once the ground-level air is warmer than the air above it, it will lift up and we will start to see overhead mixing. Now, when the ground-level air is more polluted than the higher air, this inversion break is excellent, because it means the pollution will be lifted out of the valley and be replaced with cleaner air. Today, though, it looks like it will mostly mean our smoky air will be replaced with smokier air.
Also, a fun way to monitor inversion break on the pollution front (if you get tired of staring at RAWS stations) is to watch how the Purple Air sensors on the fire.airnow.gov map behave. The sensors at higher elevations will typically start changing sooner than the Boyd Park monitor because they are not under as strong an inversion. If you are feeling particularly nerdy, you can watch the RAWS stations in one tab and the fire.airnow.gov map in another tab and see how, as the temperature increases across the region, the sensors nearest the weather stations show changing pollution levels. I did this at one point last week to watch the march of smoke up the Bitterroot Valley into Missoula. It was akin to watching a cool, cleanish air bubble shrink smaller and smaller as temperatures warmed.
And finally, a note about the Purple Air sensors on the fire.airnow.gov map. They are wonderful tools for tracking changing air quality conditions. They are precise, and if they tell you the air is getting better or worse, you can believe them. They are not, however, always particularly accurate. Purple Airs have long been known to have a high bias when it comes to wildfire smoke. The EPA worked very hard for a long time and developed a good correction for Purple Air data, which is why I always send you to their fire.airnow.gov map instead of the Purple Air website. EPA’s correction is really good, but it isn’t perfect. The permanent regulatory monitors at Frenchtown, Boyd Park and Seeley Lake are both accurate and precise. If you are right next to one of these monitors, that’s where you’ll get your best information.
That said, wildfire smoke is weird, ya’ll. It can vary dramatically from one part of a valley to the next and can be very different based on which valley you are in or what hillside you’re on. Currently, the Boyd Park monitor is in a very strong inversion at the bottom of the Missoula Valley. If you are at a higher elevation or under a weaker inversion, it’s worthwhile to look for a Purple Air near you and see how the air is changing at your location. If you’re curious how I use the map, I like to select a sensor and then scroll down on the interface to where I can look at the 10-minute readings. This helps me see if conditions are changing rapidly or holding steady. I don’t entirely trust the measurements themselves, but they give a darn good ball park, which is why I say things like “conditions are generally Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.”
The clouds and massive amounts of overhead smoke make it difficult to see much detail in today’s satellite photo. The smoke is everywhere, so it doesn’t matter all that much which way the transport winds blow. We’re currently sitting in a strong inversion, and once it breaks, whichever smoke has made its way overhead will mix down to ground level. Photo Source: GOES 18
You may get massive side eye from your furbabies, but it’s important to keep them healthy. Let your doggos out to do their business, and maybe do a lap or two to get some zoomies out, but try to keep them inside with cleaner air. This hiking kitty is grounded until the air improves. Photo Source: Sarah’s iPhone.
Breathe safe!
September 12, 2022 8:15 a.m.
The air quality is currently Unhealthy in Missoula County. Conditions are worse to our south, where air quality is Very Unhealthy in the Hamilton area. We will have generally stable conditions throughout most of the day, which means these smoky conditions will persist. A complete forecast will be posted later this morning.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
September 11, 2022 11:00 a.m.
We have a dreary start to a smoky day. The light is nicely glowy, but that’s just because the particles in smoke throw sunlight around in an aesthetically pleasing manner. That’s the last nice thing I have to say about the smoke today. If you look up, you may be curious about the sky cover. It’s all smoke. All of it. There are no overhead clouds in our region this morning. And do you know what’s headed our way? Even more smoke. Scroll down and check out the satellite photo. Gross.
At our permanent monitors, air quality is currently a murky Moderate in Frenchtown, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Missoula, and Moderate in Seeley Lake. I expect to see worsening air quality later today when the inversion breaks and the overhead smoke has a chance to mix down to ground level. The high pressure and thick smoky sky cover may delay inversion break for several hours (the National Weather Service isn’t expecting much mixing until late this afternoon). This is both good and bad. Good, because it means our current air quality should remain relatively stable (unless some of that Bitterroot smoke sneaks in). It’s bad, because there is a whole bunch of Washington and Oregon smoke headed our way, and it might get here at about the same time the inversion breaks and air starts moving up and down. (Use this satellite loop to watch its progress in near real time: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G17§or=pnw&band=GEOCOLOR&length=24!)
Conditions are worse as you head south in the Bitterroot Valley, where air quality is Unhealthy (their fires have been pouring smoke into that valley overnight). Air quality is generally better as you head east and north of Missoula.
Air quality across Missoula County may become Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy today. If we are super lucky, our relatively low mixing heights will allow some of the very high elevation smoke to pass overhead without coming down to visit us. Thanks, high pressure!
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Expect smoke all day, today, and most likely through Monday, as well. The high pressure ridge will keep smoke trapped in the area and the transport winds will continue to usher out-of-state smoke into our valleys for at least the next couple days.
And now, a quick interlude about inversions: A temperature inversion exists when the ground level air is colder than the air above it. If you look at the weather stations around the region, you can see the temperature in the middle of Missoula (at our Boyd Park monitor, in fact), is several degrees cooler than temperatures in the mountains. The inversion won’t break until the sun warms the ground enough to warm the air above it to a temperature higher than the layer of overhead air. Once the ground-level air is warmer than the air above it, it will lift up and we will start to see overhead mixing. Now, when the ground-level air is more polluted than the higher air, this inversion break is excellent, because it means the pollution will be lifted out of the valley and be replaced with cleaner air. Today, though, it looks like it will mostly mean our smoky air will be replaced with smokier air.
Also, a fun way to monitor inversion break on the pollution front (if you get tired of staring at RAWS stations) is to watch how the Purple Air sensors on the fire.airnow.gov map behave. The sensors at higher elevations will typically start changing sooner than the Boyd Park monitor because they are not under as strong an inversion. If you are feeling particularly nerdy, you can watch the RAWS stations in one tab and the fire.airnow.gov map in another tab and see how, as the temperature increases across the region, the sensors nearest the weather stations show changing pollution levels. I did this at one point last week to watch the march of smoke up the Bitterroot Valley into Missoula. It was akin to watching a cool, cleanish air bubble shrink smaller and smaller as temperatures warmed.
And finally, a note about the Purple Air sensors on the fire.airnow.gov map. They are wonderful tools for tracking changing air quality conditions. They are precise, and if they tell you the air is getting better or worse, you can believe them. They are not, however, always particularly accurate. Purple Airs have long been known to have a high bias when it comes to wildfire smoke. The EPA worked very hard for a long time and developed a good correction for Purple Air data, which is why I always send you to their fire.airnow.gov map instead of the Purple Air website to monitor current conditions. EPA’s correction is really good, but it isn’t perfect. The permanent regulatory monitors at Frenchtown, Boyd Park and Seeley Lake are both accurate and precise. If you are right next to one of these monitors, that’s where you’ll get your best information.
That said, wildfire smoke is weird, ya’ll. It can vary dramatically from one part of a valley to the next and can be very different based on which valley you are in or what hillside you’re on. Currently, the Boyd Park monitor is in a very strong inversion at the bottom of the Missoula Valley. If you are at a higher elevation or under a weaker inversion, it’s worthwhile to look for a Purple Air near you and see how the air is changing at your location. If you’re curious how I use the map, I like to select a sensor and then scroll down on the interface to where I can look at the 10-minute readings. This helps me see if conditions are changing rapidly or holding steady. I don’t entirely trust the measurements themselves, but they give a darn good ball park, which is why I say things like “conditions are generally Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.”
Understand that human health is a spectrum, and the health effects categories are more guidelines than anything. There is no dramatic difference when you cross a single PM2.5 measurement threshold. The main point of the Air Quality Index is to reflect how chewy the air is getting and provide recommendations for reducing activity levels and seeking cleaner air as conditions worsen. Your best route is to pay attention to how your body is responding to the smoke and ratchet back activity levels accordingly. Also, know that the longer a smoke event wears on, the less smoke you can likely tolerate. And if you can avoid smoke entirely? That is the route to take. Wildfire smoke is really bad for you.
So, when we are dealing with these smoky conditions, use portable air cleaners with HEPA filters to create cleaner air rooms in your home, upgrade the HVAC filter for your home if you can, and if you want an affordable option, make your own air cleaner with a box fan and a high efficiency furnace filter! If you must be outside in smoky conditions, reduce your activity levels and consider using an N95 respirator to reduce your smoke inhalation. Learn more information about all these cleaner air tips (including how to get a $100 rebate on an Energy Star air cleaner) at www.montanawildfiresmoke.org!
In this morning’s satellite photo, you can see smoke blanketing the area as well as smoke trapped in Idaho valleys. Also, check out the smoke pouring into the Bitterroot from their fires. Folks near those fires had a very smoky night. If the overhead smoke moves off enough for sun to hit the Idaho fires, they will wake up and start sending plumes our general direction. The smoke may be thick enough to keep them relatively quiet, though. (Not that it really matters, since we’ll have a smoky day, regardless.) Photo Source: GOES 18
In this morning’s zoomed out satellite photo, you can really get a sense of the massive amount of overhead smoke heading our way from the Oregon and Washington fires. If the Idaho fires wake up, they’ll send plumes our direction, but currently, our most imminent smoke threat is that huge pile up of smoke arcing across the Northwest toward us. GOES 18
Breathe safe!
September 10, 2022 6:00 p.m.
If you've been wondering where the mountains went, the transport winds turned southwesterly earlier than we’d hoped and started sending Idaho smoke back our way this afternoon.
Conditions are currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Frenchtown and Missoula trending toward and Unhealthy across the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys. Air quality is still generally Moderate in more northern and eastern parts of Missoula County. (As the smoke continues to move into western Montana, conditions will likely deteriorate across the county.)
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
The Boulder Lake Fire is putting out some smoke this evening, so Seeley Lake may see deteriorating air quality tonight. As the fire settles down under tonight’s inversion, smoke from the Boulder Lake Fire will accumulate in the Gold Creek drainage an could potentially impact the Hwy 200 corridor.
Conditions will likely continue to worsen tonight and lead us into a smoky Sunday.
In further bad news, high pressure has reestablished itself over region, which means the smoke is likely to linger for at least the next couple days.
On this evening’s satellite photo, you can see a whole bunch of Idaho smoke heading our way (and already hitting us). Fires were active across the region today (Here’s a fun satellite loop you can use to watch the fires grow: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G17§or=pnw&band=GEOCOLOR&length=48&dim=1) . For a bit of perspective, check out the zoomed-out photo below. Remember the Cedar Creek Fire in Oregon? It went crazy today. Its plume is doing a slow-motion hair flip across Washington today. That smoke is slowly headed our direction, as is smoke from fires in Eastern Oregon.
Stay alert for changing conditions and head over to www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips for staying healthy during smoke season!
Be sure to bookmark Fire.Airnow.Gov so you can keep an eye on current air quality at air monitors and Purple Air sensors around the region!
In this afternoon’s satellite photo, you can see a plume coming off the Boulder Lake Fire as well as a ton of smoke heading our way from Idaho. The Blodgett Lake decided to send a plume up the Bitterroot today. The Mill Lake Fire directly north of Blodgett has been a smoke source lately, but according to fire detection and incident overview maps, that smoke is from the Blodgett Lake Fire. Photo Source: GOES 16
Soooo, there’s a lot of smoke out there. The Cedar Creek Fire in Oregon has been going bonkers today, and the fires in Eastern Oregon and Northern Washington have taken off. We will have generally southwesterly and westerly transport winds for the next couple days, which means we will likely have a steady stream of smoke headed our way for the near future. Photo Source: GOES 16
Breathe Safe!
September 9, 2022 5:00 p.m.
I know it’s not perfect, but I’m happy to report that air quality has remained at a decent, mid-to-lowish Moderate level all day. The cold front that dropped out of Canada has done a nice job sending smoke west of Montana and into Idaho (back to the furnaces from whence it came, really), and the cloud cover and cooler temperatures over the wilderness fires appear to have tamped down their activity levels. Tomorrow should also be a pretty good day. (Better than today, I expect, since we’ve had a lot of haze this afternoon that is slowly moving west.).
This is all great! (For us. Less great for the people of Idaho.)
Take advantage of a nice Saturday if you can. It should be pleasant outside, and the air should be breathable.
But. You know all that smoke we just sent to Idaho? Do you see it kind of clumping up southwest of us on the satellite photo? Well, starting later this weekend (either late Saturday or early Sunday, depending on which model you look at), the transport winds are going to shift to be from the west and southwest, and all that smoke is going to come back like a bad penny. If that penny were on fire. And had a vendetta against your lungs and happiness.
Predicting smoke movements almost 48 hours out is a bit hand wavey, but the return of westerly and southwesterly transport winds is very likely. Since there is smoke to our west and southwest, we can plan on it riding those winds back to Montana. I’m not sure of the timing or how bad it’s going to get, but I am expecting smoke impacts in Missoula County to return on Sunday.
Be alert for changing conditions and take advantage of this decent(ish) air while we have it. And take heart! The National Weather Service is getting pretty dang chipper about cooler temperatures and increased precipitation toward the end of next week. Both these things will tamp down fire activity throughout the region. This fire season should be short compared to previous years. In the meantime, keep your indoor air clean (visit www.monanawildfiresmoke.org for tips!), and reduce your outdoor activities levels when it’s smoky outside.
The smoke we’ve sent to Idaho and the smoke their fires are generating will likely join forces, swing back up and hit us toward the end of the weekend (possibly as early as Sunday morning). For now, the overhead haze should continue to move westward, and it’s possible we will see better air tomorrow than we did today.
Breathe safe!
September 8, 2022 1:50 p.m.
That escalated quickly.
Conditions are currently Unhealthy in Frenchtown and trending toward Unhealthy in Condon and Seeley Lake. As the northwestern smoke continues to push south across the area, expect more areas to see worsening air quality. Missoula's air quality is currently 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups' but based on recent readings on Purple Air sensors, is also headed toward an Unhealthy designation.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Our PM2.5 monitor at Boyd Park is experiencing technical difficulties, but the Purple Air sensors scattered around town all show particulate concentrations have been rapidly increasing over the past hour.
The overhead smoke is moving quickly, so this will hopefully be a relatively brief foray into Unhealthy air quality. Unfortunately, there is Montana and Idaho smoke nipping at the heels of this Washington/Canadian murk, so we'll likely be hit again shortly after this batch moves off. Here's a fun satellite loop where you can see for yourself how things are looking out there: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G17§or=pnw&band=GEOCOLOR&length=24
Remember to pay attention to how your body is responding to the smoke. This is a relatively short fire season, but it has been hitting us with smoke for going on a week now, and for a lot of folks, there has been enough smoke to make you feel pretty cruddy. There are a lot of nasty components to wildfire smoke. The gases cause irritation to your eyes and lungs and can cause headaches and a scratchy throat. The fine particulates go deep into your lungs and can even pass into your bloodstream. The fine particles in smoke cause systemic inflammation and can lead to worsening asthma and COPD symptoms, increased risk of stroke and heart attack, and even reduced immune function, leading to increased susceptibility to infectious disease. If you can avoid breathing this stuff, please do so. Use portable air cleaners with HEPA filters to create cleaner air rooms in homes and businesses, use high efficiency filters in HVAC systems, and if you must be outside, limit your activities as much as possible and consider using a N95 respirator to reduce your exposure.
Visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for more details about staying safe from the smoke and keep an eye on fire.airnow.gov to monitor changing conditions.
Breathe safe!
September 8, 2022 11:00 a.m.
Well. Yesterday was a wild air quality ride. We had some decent clearing in the afternoon, but the air in Missoula got downright chewy around 9:00 p.m. when fresh smoke landed in the valley. We had Unhealthy air quality overnight in the southern half of the county, but more northern areas, including Frenchtown, Seeley Lake and Condon, were spared. Happily, that plume has been pushed south of Missoula County and we are briefly enjoying a happy little bubble of better air. Conditions are currently Good in Condon and Seeley Lake and Moderate in the rest of Missoula County.
My advice? If you’re in an area with Good-to-decent air (i.e. a Moderate you can tolerate), run outside quick like a bunny and enjoy this morning! Open your windows! And then run back inside and close them again. There is some smoke heading our way from fires burning to our northwest and we may see air quality diminish to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (possibly worse) later this morning or this afternoon. Fortunately, the smoke is moving at a pretty good clip, so it should pass out of our area by late afternoon/early evening. We are also finally out from under high pressure, which means smoke impacts will, in general, be more transient than they were over the past week. Strong surface winds this afternoon should keep smoke from accumulating in the valley floor but there is a decent chance those winds will deliver smoke into our breathing space all day.
Of note, there are several fires in northwest Montana/northeast Idaho that will have opportunities to send smoke to Missoula County throughout the day. I don’t think today will be as bad as yesterday, but it’s going to be another weird one. The overhead and surface winds will be from the northwest to start, which will bring smoke down to Missoula County (check out the satellite photo below. It’s a big ol’ clump of smoke from fires burning in Washington and Canada). The smoke blob should pass through quickly, but there are several fires northwest of us that will start sending plumes our way. And then, because we can’t have nice things, this evening the wind over the Boulder Lake Fire in the Rattlesnake Wilderness and all the fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness (Ursus, George Lake and Cannon) is going to become northeasterly. This shift in wind direction will stall some of the smoke coming down from the northwest while also delivering smoke from the wilderness areas into the populated parts of Missoula County. Eventually, all that smoke will head over into Idaho, but we could see a smoky afternoon and evening.
The atmospheric models are in good agreement that we’ll be seeing easterly transport winds through Friday, so the fires in the Rattlesnake and Bob Marshall wilderness areas will continue to be players in Missoula County air quality for at least the next day or so. Happily, we will be rid of Idaho, Washington and Oregon smoke throughout that time frame.
Expect variable conditions today and, unless you’re downwind of one of the wilderness fires, generally better air quality on Friday.
As always, be sure to check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips for navigating this smoke season and visit fire.airnow.gov to stay on top of changing conditions!
Smoke from fires in Washington and Canada is swooping our way this morning. It will be followed by plumes from fires burning in northwest Montana/northeast Idaho. The smoke bulldozed its way through Missoula’s air last night has been pushed well south of our area and the fires burning directly west and southwest of Missoula county should see their plumes heading more toward Ravalli County through this afternoon. Source: GOES 18
The Boulder Lake fire had a pretty good run yesterday. You can see its smoke in this morning's zoomed in satellite photo. After the smoke that’s coming down from the northwest finishes doing its thing, smoke from Boulder Lake and fires in the Bob Marshall are expected to swing southeastward and start hitting Missoula County. Source: GOES 17
Breathe safe!
September 7, 2022 10:00 a.m.
Today will be an interesting day. I described how I expect it to go to my fellow air nerd, Ben, this morning, and it required many hand movements edging into interpretive dance. Since no one needs to see that, I’m going to do my best to put it all into words for you.
Taking a cruise around EPA’s Fire and Smoke map (fire.airnow.gov), we can see conditions in Lolo and the southern end of the Missoula Valley are currently Unhealthy, and air quality is trending toward Unhealthy at several sensors within Missoula City limits. Air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Frenchtown and the Potomac Valley, and generally Moderate in Condon and Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Seeley Lake.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Smoke is unevenly distributed across Missoula County this morning, and some areas are already seeing some enthusiastic ground-level wind. I know we’re all excited for the wind to scour smoke out of the valleys today! Well, I have bad news, fam. For the moment, the wind is primarily stirring local smoke in a circle and delivering additional smoke to the Missoula area. We are still under a strong inversion in the Missoula Valley, so we aren’t getting the fun vertical smoke movement that can replace smoky air with clean air. Instead, we’re having lateral air movement that is, if anything dredging smoke up from the Bitterroot and dropping it into Missoula County. Yay.
In addition to smoke trapped in our valleys and heading our way from the Bitterroot, we have a lot of smoke still lingering overhead. There are clouds today, but they’re cute little things and not responsible for how dreary this morning started.
So, not a great start to the morning.
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect across the county (and region today), which means we expect to see very hot, dry and windy conditions this afternoon that will increase fire behavior and likely lead to some good size plumes heading toward Missoula County. The winds will be westerly, and there are a lot of fires burning west of Missoula County.
An exciting local plume will likely be coming from the Boulder Lake Fire burning in the Rattlesnake Wilderness. This fire is expected to make a run today, and we can expect to see a lot of smoke head toward the Seeley Lake, Salmon Lake and Placid Lake areas. The good news is overhead winds will shift to be northerly starting tomorrow, so the fire only really has today to send smoke to the MT83 corridor. The less good news is it’s burning in the Gold Creek drainage, so smoke may make its way to the Hwy 200 corridor overnight. The Boulder Lake Fire has been burning for a few days, but this will be its first major run.
Here’s how I think today is going to go:
Seeley Lake and Condon: A pretty good day! Maybe! Unless it isn’t. The inversion should break later today (probably noonish). As the inversion breaks, some of that overhead smoke might bounce down to ground level for a little bit and make things worse, but there should be some strong winds and overall fabulous convection today to scour things out and keep it from accumulating. The confounding factor will be all the upwind fires with plumes pointed straight at Seeley Lake, particularly the Boulder Lake Fire and some fires in Idaho. If those plumes land in the valley this evening, conditions could be pretty gross. However, they may stay overhead, in which case they will loom threateningly before being pushed south overnight. Condon should have a better day than Seeley Lake.
Frenchtown: When the inversion breaks later today, conditions may deteriorate briefly before generally improving in the afternoon. However, much like Seeley Lake, Frenchtown will be downwind of a whole bunch of active fires, and may seem smoke deposited throughout the area. If the plumes make landfall, air quality could get pretty bad until tomorrow morning when everything should start to be pushed south.
Missoula: Kind of a lousy start to the day, ya’ll. We had a lot of smoke trapped in the valley all night, and this morning we have tremendously unhelpful ground-level wind escorting smoke to our area. Meanwhile, the Missoula Valley is currently under a strong inversion. The inversion *should* start breaking down around or a little after noon, at which point air quality is likely to deteriorate for a bit. I’m still optimistic we’ll see good clearing this afternoon. We may see plumes head toward Missoula later today, but overhead winds will be quite westerly, and most of the plumes look to be a bit north and bit south of the Missoula Valley.
To sum up: it’s smoky this morning, it will hopefully get less smoky this afternoon, but it might get more smoky in some places from all the plumes headed our direction.
(The overhead smoke could slow down any clearing by limiting convection, but we're already seeing strong winds at higher elevations above the inversion, so I'm optimistic we will get good scouring winds in the valleys this afternoon once the inversions break.)
And then, on Thursday, all this nastiness will be pushed south to go bother someone else for a bit. We may get some breaths of cleaner air on Thursday and Friday, which is something to look forward to! (We may also see new smoke coming in from fires burning north of us, sooooo . . . at least it would be different smoke? Preliminarily, any smoke impacts from the fires to our north look considerably lighter than what we’ve been dealing with for the past several days.)
As always, be sure to check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips for navigating this smoke season and visit fire.airnow.gov to stay on top of changing conditions!
This morning’s satellite photo is obscured by clouds, but you can see the mass of smoke below the clouds generally making everything gross. Some of those clouds are currently dropping lightning in Idaho, which is tremendously inconsiderate of them. Photo source: GOES 17
Here’s a shot of this morning’s 9:00 a.m. Fire and Smoke map. You can see the Unhealthy air quality measured at Purple Air sensors throughout Ravalli County and the southern half of Missoula County. Since the satellite photo was obscured by fluffy clouds, I’ve pointed out the Boulder Lake Fire location (and others) on this map for your viewing pleasure. Source: EPA Fire and Smoke Map
Breathe safe!
September 7, 2022 8:00 a.m.
Air quality is currently Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Missoula and Frenchtown and Moderate in Seeley Lake. Conditions at Purple Air sensors in and around Missoula indicate air quality is likely Unhealthy in the Lolo area and southern Missoula Valley. Air quality may deteriorate to Unhealthy at more locations later this morning before improving in the afternoon. A full forecast will be posted later this morning.
September 6, 2022 7:00 p.m.
Depending on where you are in the county, you’ve either had a hazy day, a hazy-smoky-hazy day, or a darned smoky day.
The southern end of the county (Lolo, Florence and the Blue Mountain area), have seen the worst smoke of the day, with concentrations at the Purple Air sensors in Lolo hanging steadily in the Unhealthy category. We’ve had generally Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality in the southern end of the Missoula Valley, and Moderate air quality in the eastern and northern halves of the county, including Seeley Lake, the Potomac Valley and Condon. Meanwhile, Frenchtown was having a pretty ok day until late this afternoon when it got dang murky.
As of 7:00 p.m. conditions were Unhealthy in Frenchtown, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Missoula and Moderate in Seeley Lake.
When air quality is Unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit heavy or prolonged exertion and limit time spent outdoors. People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan. People experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Purple Air sensors around the county have seen a bit of the afternoon heat out, in which warm air lifts smoke off the valley floor, but several of the sensors have also shown smoke settling back in. Wildfire smoke can be flashy and weird, ya’ll. If you pull up Fire.Airnow.Gov and click around on the Purple Air sensors around the county, you can see a lot more inconsistency among the sensors this afternoon than there was this morning, when they were all in a lockstep of stable air doldrums. As the afternoon has warmed up, there’s been a bit more vertical air movement, and that means smoke is getting pushed around more, and levels are varying between sensors even within the same valley.
So, why am I pestering you with an evening email? Because it could get pretty bad tonight, folks. The fires in Idaho and Eastern Oregon are sending plumes our way, and there is no clear air in sight for the rest of the night. The HRRR model is being particularly pessimistic and suggesting surface-level smoke hitting Unhealthy levels across the county. If this afternoon’s smoke settles back down and the fresh out-of-state smoke lands in our valleys, we can expect poor air quality tonight.
Tomorrow morning will likely be socked in with smoke. The rest of the day could go one of two ways.
- Happily, tomorrow’s cold front is a herald of great joy for people with lungs! The strong winds and general atmospheric disturbance should provide relief from the built-up smoke by the end of the day. It will also provide for fire growth and some zippy smoke plumes that will preliminarily be pointed straight for us. So, we aren’t entirely out of the smoky woods on Wednesday, but the smoke isn’t expected to really settle in tomorrow night, and by Thursday it should be headed south of Missoula County. . . . or
- The massive amount of piled up smoke limits the amount of convection that can develop over Missoula county, thereby tamping down wind and temperature forecasts, and the day is considerably less pleasant than hoped. Then, on Thursday, overhead transport winds shift to be from the north and northwest and the smoke finally gets pushed south of us.
For tonight, hug your air cleaner and think kind thoughts toward your lungs. And remember! We’re already a full week into September and cleaner air is on its way for the end of the week! (We uh, might have smoke again in a few days, but happy thoughts, people! How nice would a clean air Friday be?!?)
As always, keep an eye on Fire.Airnow.Gov to track changing conditions, and check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips to stay healthy this fire season!
We have a lot of smoke overhead that lingered throughout the day as well as some new smoke heading in from fires burning in Idaho and Oregon. Meanwhile, the Boulder Lake Fire (which is burning far up the Rattlesnake) is putting out a respectable little plume today. If it gets going, that fire could send smoke toward Seeley Lake this early evening and smoke down the Gold Creek drainage tonight. It’s a pretty small fire, currently, but one to keep an eye on. Image Source: GOES 16
Breathe safe!
September 6, 2022 11:30 a.m.
Conditions are currently Moderate in Missoula County but may become Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups later today.
It’s going to be another smoky day, folks. There is a lot of smoke overhead already, and we’re going to be downwind of the fires burning in Idaho and Oregon all day today. We also have high pressure lingering over the area and generally mucking up the place. If that forecast makes you sad and you have some free time and gas money, conditions look lovely around Flathead Lake today!
The Trail Ridge Fire and Mill Lake Fire poured smoke into the Bitterroot Valley overnight, and conditions are Unhealthy in Hamilton. Air quality generally improves as you move north up the Bitterroot, but it’s good to keep in mind that the Missoula Valley is downstream of Ravalli County, so smoke originating in the Bitterroot has the potential to flow toward Missoula right above the inversion layer. Once the inversion breaks and smoke has an option to move vertically rather than laterally, smoke from the Bitterroot will likely mix down to the valley floor before eventually lifting up as the day heats up.
The overhead smoke and high pressure will work together to delay our inversion breaking today. The stable conditions will likely keep smoke in the valleys through noon and possibly into midafternoon. As smoke moves around (looking at you, Bitterroot), conditions may get a tad worse before they get better. We may see improvements after the day heats up, but there are some confounding factors: overhead smoke and upwind fires. When the day finally heats up, all those fires around the region are going to wake up and will start sending plumes our direction. The high pressure and slow transport winds will likely translate into sluggish smoke movement, but we’re close enough to the Idaho wildfires that even a molasses-like plume could tip over into our air space. The slow smoke movement will also mean the smoke we’re sitting in and under this morning might not make it very far before nightfall.
Looking into the future, we will likely have a smoky start to Wednesday morning before things get exciting. The bad news is some of that excitement comes in the form of a Red Flag Warning. We’re expecting very windy, very dry conditions on Wednesday that will 1) push existing smoke out of the area (yay!) and 2) stoke existing fires (boo!). Fortunately (for Missoula County), tomorrow’s winds herald a dry trough of low pressure dropping out of Canada that is going to push smoke south of us on Thursday and Friday. As this happens, transport winds will shift to be from the north and northwest. Preliminarily, it looks like we will get at least a two-day break from Idaho and Oregon smoke. This means our primary smoke concerns will become fires burning in southern Canada and northern Montana and Idaho. Now, there are fires up there, but they currently aren’t as numerous or near as the Idaho fires to our southwest.
For now, plan on hazy-to-smoky conditions for most of the day and take steps to clean your indoor air as best you can. Be sure to visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips to stay healthy during smoke season and keep track of changing air quality conditions at Fire.Airnow.Gov!
This morning’s satellite photo shows overhead smoke across west central and southwest Montana as well as smoke trapped in valleys across the region. There is a marvelous patch of clean air north of Missoula County. Hold on for another couple days and then we, too, should enjoy clear skies and cleaner air! (Unless all that smoke north and northwest of us decides to hit us. I’m of the opinion that there should least a gap between smoke impacts.) For today, the fires burning southwest of us will likely perk up in late afternoon. Smoke models are showing smoke from Idaho and Oregon will head our way and conditions will be generally lousy through tonight and tomorrow morning. Image source: GOES 17
Breathe safe!
September 6, 2022 8:30 a.m.
Conditions are currently Moderate in Missoula and Frenchtown and Good in Seeley Lake. Air quality may deteriorate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups later this morning as smoke currently in the Bitterroot Valley moves downstream (i.e. straight for Missoula) and smoke overhead mixes down.
September 5, 2022 5:00 p.m.
The afternoon heat outs and breezes showed up today and provided Good to Moderate air quality through most of Missoula County. The only hold out on decent air quality was Lolo at Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The Trail Ridge fire continues to smoke out the Bitterroot Valley with reduced impacts when the smoke reaches Missoula. Sorry Lolo.
We can expect worsening air quality tonight when the smoke settles back into the mountain valleys. Seeley Lake, which is not getting smoke from the Trail Ridge Fire, is good at the moment. But smoke from other fires is impacting that area and the Good air quality in Seeley Lake may worsen tonight.
September 5, 2022 11:00 a.m.
Hope you all have a great, even with the smoke, Labor Day or National Cheese Pizza Day. Today, there are several holiday options to choose from!
As of 11:00 am, air quality in Missoula County is mostly Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups with Unhealthy in the Lolo area. Expect air quality to vary between Moderate and Unhealthy today. The afternoon heat outs and breezes will disperse the smoke, but increased fire activity as the day warms up will produce more smoke for our viewing and breathing displeasure.
Smoke settled into the valleys of Idaho and Montana last night. If you looked straight up this morning, you could see blue sky while the mountains were masked by smoke. The Trail Ridge still appears to be the major source of smoke for the Bitterroot and Missoula Valleys. But several other fires such as the Hog Trough Fire, the South Fork Fire, and fires in Idaho and Oregon may be adding their share of smoke.
This is a reminder that as smoke episodes persist, adverse health impacts will increase. So, turn on your portable air cleaners (PAC), replace any PAC or HVAC filters that need replacing and be sure to check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips about creating cleaner indoor air during wildfire season! Even if you must be outdoors at times, your respiratory and cardio systems will thank you for the clean air you get at home.
In this morning’s satellite image, you can see how the Oregon fires calmed down over night and how the smoke settled into the Idaho and Montana mountain valleys. Check out EPA’s Fire and Smoke map (fire.airnow.gov) to find updates on regional fires and to check out current air quality conditions.
Image Source: Goes 18 Image Viewer
Have a Great Labor Day!
September 4, 2022 2:00 p.m.
Air quality in most of the Missoula Valley has gone to Unhealthy this last hour with moderate air quality in Seeley Lake. With the afternoon heat out, there is a chance that air quality will improve to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The afternoon breezes will bring in more smoke, so clear air is not expected.
This is a reminder that as smoke episodes persist, adverse health impacts will increase. So, turn on your portable air cleaners (PAC), replace any PAC or HVAC filters that need replacing and be sure to check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips about creating cleaner indoor air during wildfire season! Even if you must be outdoors at times, your respiratory and cardio systems will thank you for the clean air you get at home.
The Sturgill and Goat Mountain Two Fire in northeastern Oregon continue to send smoke right at Missoula County and smoke production has increased throughout the day. Check out EPA’s Fire and Smoke map (fire.airnow.gov) to find updates on these fires and to check out current air quality conditions. The Trail Ridge smoke flowing up the Bitterroot remains the main smoke source for the Missoula Valley.
Image Source: GOES 16
September 4, 2022 10:00 a.m.
Sunday morning wildfire smoke update!
The winds that arrived late yesterday helped clear some of the smoke out (and brought more smoke to us) and improved air quality to moderate. The improvement was short lived as Missoula County air quality quickly went back to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Unhealthy air quality is still a possibility this holiday weekend.
The Trail Ridge plume continues to flow down the Bitterroot Valley are way. In the satellite picture the 2nd air down shows the Bitterroot Valley Smoke. The 3rd arrow down shows smoke plumes from Oregon fires coming are way while the 4th and last arrow down has smoke from California heading northeast. The California and southwest Oregon smoke should miss us.
This mornings satellite photo shows smoke heading are way from California, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. The Trail Ridge still appears to be sending smoke down the Bitterrroot Valley right at us. Image Source: GOES 16
September 3, 2022 6:00 p.m.
As of 6 PM on Saturday, air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Missoula County with a slight chance of Unhealthy air later tonight. With a delay in the predicted afternoon breezes, smoke has hung around the county today, but smoke may start clearing out later tonight or Sunday.
When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, children and the elderly should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Anyone experiencing symptoms of heart or lung disease associated with smoke exposure should contact their health care provider.
Smoke and haze from Idaho, northwest Oregon and other regional fires are expected to continue into Sunday. Because of cloud cover, there are no great pictures available this afternoon of the Montana/Northern Idaho area. But on the GOES Image Viewer loop you can see the northwest Oregon fires take off through the day.
Be sure to bookmark Fire.Airnow.Gov so you can keep an eye on current air quality at air monitors and Purple Air sensors around the region.
September 3, 2022 8:30 a.m.
Except for one brief foray into Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Frenchtown last night, air quality has remained moderate in Missoula County for the last 12 hours. Air Quality could vary between Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, or Unhealthy through this morning with excellent chances of improved air quality this afternoon when the winds pick up. The bad news is that while the winds may clear the smoke out for a while, fire activity will likely increase.
Smoke impacts are expected to continue through the holiday weekend, hopefully with periods of good air quality in the mix. To track smoke plumes for yourself, go to the GOES Image Viewer.
Stay alert for changing conditions and head over to www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips for staying healthy during smoke season!
Be sure to bookmark Fire.Airnow.Gov so you can keep an eye on current air quality at air monitors and Purple Air sensors around the region! The picture below is from Fire.Airnow.Gov this morning and shows smoke impacting the Intermountain west. While most sensors show moderate air quality, there is definitely a scattering of Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Unhealthy out there.
September 2, 2022 6:00 p.m.
TL;DR: Air quality is currently Moderate across Missoula County, but conditions may deteriorate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or Unhealthy overnight.
IMPORTANT: It is really hot outside, and tomorrow will be another really hot day. It’s probably going to be smoky tonight, but you must cool down your home. That may mean opening your windows to let cool air in tonight. Close doors and windows once the indoor temperature is lower and use portable air cleaners (PACs) or DIY fan/filter combos to clean the cooler air. If you can, put PACs with HEPA filters in bedrooms (or make your own air cleaners!) to clean the bedroom air while you cool the rest of the home. For example, I have a window air conditioner in my bedroom, but I rely on night air to cool the rest of my home. I will open the rest of my windows to let in cool air tonight, but I will run the window AC in my bedroom and have air cleaners in there to keep the bedroom air cleaner than the rest of the house. I measured my indoor air quality when I had this setup last year, and it worked really well. I even had my bedroom door cracked a bit to let the cats in and out, because one can tolerate only so much yowling on a work night. For tips about keeping indoor air clean (including making your own air cleaner on the cheap), visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org!
Anyway, back to the update.
I know. It’s still hazy. And now it’s hot and hazy and there are just so many smoke plumes in Idaho and southern Montana and some of them look to be headed our direction.
So what’s happening?
- It’s high pressure. Pushing down on me, pushing down on you, no haze can move. High pressure acts like a lid over an area. Sometimes afternoon convection is enough to break smoke out of the valley even under high pressure conditions, but today that was not the case. Instead, we’ve seen stagnant conditions across Western Montana.
- Overhead winds are both slow and all over the place today. Kind of like a squirrel who got into some old plums. The Trail Ridge plume is still pointed straight at us despite pretending this morning that it might head to Idaho (so its winds are more southerly than easterly), the Solomon Fire just woke up and is sending a tiny little plume straight north, and all those Idaho fires have slowly been shifting their plumes our direction throughout the day. Here’s a fun satellite loop to show you what I mean: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G18§or=pnw&band=GEOCOLOR&length=84&dim=1
- The South Fork Fire burning on the MT/ID border west of Stevensville has a small plume headed toward the Missoula Valley. That’s all the information I have for you about that fire. It’s not huge, but it is inconveniently located. If that fire takes off, it will be well positioned to send smoke into the Bitterroot and Missoula Valleys on a daily basis should our prevailing southwesterly breezes set up.
- The massive and errant Cedar Creek Smoke plume is trundling across the Northwest. It still looks on track to miss Missoula County, but even if it ends up overhead, its smoke should stay aloft
What’s going to happen tonight?
- It’s probably going to be smoky. Conditions are currently Moderate, but they could easily hit Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or Unhealthy later tonight and into tomorrow morning. Atmospheric mixing should shut down by about 10:00 p.m., at which point we’ll be stuck with however much smoke makes it down to the valley floor until tomorrow.
What about tomorrow?
- The morning could be pretty smoky. The inversion won’t break until late morning (possibly not until noonish or later), so if a lot of smoke builds up tonight, it will probably be here in the morning.
- A weather disturbance is going to pass through in the afternoon and it should get very windy very fast, and that should scour smoke out of the valleys.
- The fires are probably going to put out some impressive plumes. All that wind comes along with a red flag warning, which means we will likely see additional fire activity and more smoke in the near future.
What can you do?
- Use portable air cleaners (PACs) with HEPA filters to create cleaner air rooms in your home.
- Make your own air cleaner with a newer box fan, a MERV 13 furnace filter and some duct tape!
- If you have a forced air furnace, recirculate your air through a high efficiency furnace filter.
- Havecentral A/C that can use a high efficiency filter? You get to enjoy both cool and clean air! Fancy!
- Visit www.montanawildfiresmoke.org to learn how to stay healthy when smoke rolls in.
- Regularly check Fire.Airnow.Gov to keep an eye on changing conditions.
- If you’re going to the Griz game, drink lots of water and try not to overheat. If it’s still smoky while you’re tailgating or at the game, try not to exert yourself in the smoke. A few rounds of cornhole will probably be ok. It’s going to be really hot, but you could consider using an N95 respirator to reduce your smoke inhalation. Happily, the winds should be picking up for the afternoon, so smoke conditions may be better for all the football game shenanigans.
Lots of smoke and fires in this afternoon’s satellite photo. The smoke blob over Washington is from the Cedar Creek Fire in Idaho. Even if it makes it this far east, it *should* stay overhead tonight. Image Source: GOES 16
Breathe safe!
September 2, 2022 11:30 a.m.
We’ve been holding steady at Moderate air quality across Missoula County since last night. The morning inversion has kept air quality pretty uniform, but as the day heats up, smoke should lift out of the valleys leading to air quality improvements this afternoon. Southeasterly transport winds will generally keep smoke plumes away from Missoula County through the day. In short: Today’s smoke adventures will likely be boring. Haze, less haze, followed by some haze.
Now, there are fires burning south and east of us. Most notably, the Trail Ridge Fire south of Sula has been going bananas since yesterday. Its plume is currently headed up the Bitterroot Valley, but with luck (and physics), it will get some good lift later today and be too high overhead to get funneled up the valley toward Missoula County and will instead spend its afternoon visiting Idaho.
The Solomon Fire burning in the Welcome Mountain Wilderness southeast of Missoula County is still relatively small (~50 acres), but it is burning in heavy timber in inaccessible terrain and will likely pick up in activity throughout the day. It may send a visible plume Missoula’s direction later this afternoon.
The Cedar Creek Fire in Oregon burned all night and has sent an impressive plume up into Washington. Some of that smoke is likely to swing toward Idaho and Western Montana later this afternoon, but *should* swing north of Missoula County. Notably, the Cedar Creek Fire plume is not matching what the models predicted (they have it heading entirely north today), once again fulfilling the great modeling mantra: All models are wrong, but some of them are useful.
Meanwhile, the weather is going to be hot and sunny, and fires burning around the region are likely to perk up this afternoon and continue adding to the overhead morass of smoke. The HRRR Smoke model is generally convinced conditions will worsen overnight in the Missoula area. I’m seeing conflicting forecasts re: tonight and tomorrow’s transport winds. If they shift to be from the southwest, then yes, we’re going to see a lot of Idaho (and Oregon) smoke headed back our way. The National Weather Service is keeping a much more optimistic forecast of southerly and easterly transport winds in their overnight forecast, though, so I’m withholding judgement for the time being.
Regardless, tomorrow afternoon is still forecast to be very windy, which should help clear smoke out of the area. It’s also supposed to be hot and potentially lightning-y, so we may have some extra fire activity to deal with by the end of the long weekend.
Stay alert for changing conditions and head over to www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips for staying healthy during smoke season!
Be sure to bookmark Fire.Airnow.Gov so you can keep an eye on current air quality at air monitors and Purple Air sensors around the region!
We should see generally hazy conditions today as southeasterly transport winds keep the Idaho smoke headed toward Washington. If the Solomon Fire perks up this afternoon, we may see its plume in Missoula County later today. Meanwhile, the Cedar Creek Fire in Oregon was *supposed* to send its smoke straight north today, but it caught the edge of some westerly transport winds and is sending some smoke toward Idaho. Those winds may deliver some of that smoke to western Montana, but preliminarily, it looks like it will sweep north of Missoula. Image source: GOES Image Viewer
Breathe safe!
September 1, 2022 5:00 p.m.
It’s getting hazy, ya’ll. Air quality is still Good to Moderate across the monitors and Purple Air sensors in Missoula County (check them out at fire.airnow.gov), but a whole bunch of wildfires have been waking up in the region, and we’re starting to see plumes heading our general direction.
Currently, I’m not expecting significant impacts until later on Friday or as late as this weekend. For now, we have some overhead smoke that’s washing out our blue sky and making the scenery generally disappointing.
Northwesterly transport winds will keep most of the mid-Idaho and Eastern Oregon smoke south of us through the rest of today and the north-Idaho and Western Washington plumes are likely to stay north of us.
That said, there are some plumes to look out for:
The Solomon Fire burning in the Sapphire Mountains may lead to smoke building up in the Rock Creek drainage overnight.
The Blackburn Fire in Idaho is currently sending a plume toward Frenchtown, but that plume may stay generally overhead for now, and the northwestern transport winds may help it dive further south than the Frenchtown Valley
Friday morning and afternoon, transport winds are going to be southerly and southeasterly, which isn't too exciting, but heading into late Friday and early Saturday, they're going to turn southwesterly, and holy cats, you guys. There are a whole bunch of fires waking up across Idaho and we’re going to be downwind of a lot of them for a good chunk of the next several days.
Smoke may start building up by Saturday morning, and then get (hopefully) whooshed away that afternoon when strong winds come through to scour the valleys and stir up even more fire activity. Looking further out, the southwesterly winds set up again on Sunday to deliver more Idaho smoke to our area.
For now, get your portable air cleaners (PAC) out of storage, replace any PAC or HVAC filters that need replacing, and get yourself psychologically prepared for a period of less-than-pristine air. Be sure to check out www.montanawildfiresmoke.org for great tips about creating cleaner indoor air during wildfire season!
Also, keep an eye on current air quality conditions at EPA’s Fire and Smoke map! (fire.airnow.gov)
Expect continued fire activity over the next week as hot and dry conditions continue. We *should* see a bit of a cooldown at the end of next week, which means cooler nights to help calm down regional fires. The good news is that this is a darn late start to our fire season, and there are a limited number of days or weeks before the changing seasons tamp it back down. Hang in there and be alert to changing conditions!
Breathe safe!
Oh hey, it’s suddenly fire season! A whole bunch of fires are taking off around the region. We currently only have some haze in the Missoula County area, but that is likely to change over the coming days. Photo source: GOES 16
August 20, 2022
As of 4 pm on Saturday, air quality is Good to Moderate in Missoula County. Air quality may worsen to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in parts of Missoula County tonight, but there is a good chance that the air will improve on Sunday as the transport winds push the smoke away from Missoula County. Can’t give you a guarantee on that though.
Because smoke conditions can change rapidly and vary widely based on location, wind, fire flare ups and proximity to fires, the department encourages individuals to use visibility as a guideline to help gauge air quality at a given time and place and take appropriate precautions.
August 1, 2022
There is some haze in the area from fires burning in northern California. The haze should be pushed south of us later this week. Air quality at ground level is currently Good to Moderate across Missoula County.
This web page is not updated on weekends or holidays unless air quality becomes Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse. Call the air quality hotline at 258-3600 on weekends to get the most current air quality update.
If you operate a woodstove, fireplace or other solid-fuel burning device, you will want to get in the habit of checking this web page or the Air Quality hotline (258-3600) for up-to-date changes in Missoula's air quality. Woodstoves, fireplaces and other solid-fuel burning devices are restricted during alerts and warnings.
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