The number of wildfires and the amount of smoke continues to increase but cooler, wetter weather will develop late this week into the weekend. A very large fire blew up in central Idaho on Sunday resulting is widespread smoke across Montana late in the day. Smoke from wildfires in western Montana and Idaho should be expected over the next several days. There is some hope as cooler, wetter weather will increase across Montana and Idaho giving firefighters a hand. Tuesday will still be hot, dry and smoky. Highs will again reach the 90s. Wednesday will have increasing clouds and most of Montana will turn mostly cloudy by afternoon. A few isolated thunderstorms are possible across southwest Montana to as far north as about Helena in the afternoon. The clouds will start to cool temperatures down, highs will be in the 80s and 90s. Thursday will be partly cloudy, generally dry, and temperatures will be close to average in the 80s to around 90. A big area of rain and thunderstorms will move into the state on Friday with highs in the 70s and 80s. Areas of rain will continue across Montana and Idaho through Friday night and Saturday. Saturday will be a cool summer day with highs in the 60s and 70s and the rain and thunderstorms will continue to be widespread. Sunday will be partly cloudy with a few isolated thunderstorms and continued cooler temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
