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Wildfire Smoke Air Quality Update September 6, 2024

Good afternoon,

It’s a bit hazy, ya’ll. We’re seeing overhead smoke from out-of-state fires, and smoke from the Bitterroot made its way into the Missoula Valley this afternoon. Conditions in Missoula have largely been Moderate, but they’ve waffled between Moderate and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Lolo and tipped briefly into Unhealthy in Florence this afternoon. Currently, conditions have settled back down into Moderate in Missoula and Lolo and USG in Florence.

When smoke is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, people with heart or lung disease, smokers, children and the elderly should limit prolonged exposure.

High pressure is keeping a lid over the area, but we still can expect conditions to improve by this evening as smoke starts lifting up and out of our breathing space. Speaking of lifting up, the Sharrott Creek Fire is starting to put out a plume, as are all the rest of the fires surrounding the Bitterroot Valley (we see you, Idaho). With the current transport wind directions, this mostly means the Bitterroot will send its smoke into southcentral Montana, and Idaho will send its smoke into the Bitterroot.

While conditions will generally improve in Missoula this evening, areas near active fires are likely to see overnight smoke. For the Missoula area, Saturday will look a lot like today. Smoke will start to ooze its way into the Missoula Valley as the morning inversion breaks. It will get a bit worse as the afternoon wears on, and then it should improve by early evening when the smoke lifts up for realsies. Fun fact: the nightly inversion is working in our favor in Missoula by keeping smoke from the Bitterroot out overnight. It is working against our community members and neighbors to our south by keeping the smoke in the Bitterroot overnight.  There will be hardly any wind on Saturday, so until conditions heat up (and therefore the smoke lifts up) smoke movement will be largely terrain based.

On Sunday, we are looking at the arrival of southwesterly winds which could deliver Idaho smoke to the Missoula area. If this happens, conditions are likely to worsen compared to what we’ve seen today or are likely to see tomorrow. The fires in Idaho aren’t doing anyone any favors.

So, plan on unseasonably warm temperatures and continued hazy skies due to high pressure. We will see conditions worsen in the afternoons, improve in late afternoon/early evening, and for areas near active fires, worsen after sunset.

If you’re looking to get out of the smoke, this should be an excellent weekend for heading north! Preliminarily, there doesn’t look to be much smoke heading to the Flathead or Swan valleys. Seeley Lake may also dodge the worst of it.

Keep an eye on changing conditions by both looking outside and checking the Fire and Smoke Map! (Note the Fire and Smoke Map just transitioned to a new version, so if you want to see smoke plumes, you’ll need to toggle them on.)

While we’re out of the worst of the summer heat, conditions will be unseasonably warm. Do your best to keep your indoor air cool and clean. But remember, cool takes priority! We want to keep doors and windows closed to keep smoke out, but if it means your home becomes too warm, you must open your windows and cool down. Fortunately, the nights are getting quite chilly, so it hopefully won’t take long to lower indoor temperatures. Keep your indoor air clean with portable air cleaners with HEPA filters or using high efficiency (MERV 13 or better) filters with your furnace fan. For more tips, check out the new fact sheet from EPA about coping with smoke and heat!

We have a decent amount of overhead smoke from fires burning west of our region (mostly in Oregon), and plumes are starting to form at our more local fires. We can expect conditions to improve in Missoula this evening, but they may worsen in the Bitterroot, particularly as the sun sets and smoke starts settling down into valleys. Photo credit: NOAA

This will be a good weekend to head north. Hester is looking forward to getting back to the Swan Valley and out of the smoke on Saturday! Photo credit: Sarah Coefield

Breathe safe!

SARAH COEFIELDAir Quality Specialist

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