A FLASH FLOOD WATCH is in effect for the Horse Gulch Burn Scar near Canyon Ferry Lake and the Pioneer Mountains through tonight.
A FLOOD WATCH has been issued for areas just south and west of Helena through tonight.
Most of Montana's wildfires and most of Montana in general have seen healthy amounts of rain, slowing the fire activity and danger and we're not finished yet. Cooler air, cleaner air to breath, and widespread rain are a blessing here in the middle of August. Wildfires are still burning but not nearly at the intensity we saw earlier this week. Even the Sand Creek Fire that threatened Maverick Mountain and Elkhorn Hot Springs is seeing rain and slowing down. That fire has grown to nearly 30,000 acres and has claimed at least part of Maverick Ski Area in the Pioneer Mountains of southwest Montana. Areas of significant rain and rumbles will continue through the night into Friday. Friday will be a rainy day for most northern and eastern areas of Montana. The rest of the state will be partly to mostly cloudy with a showers and thunderstorms. The rain, cooler temperatures and higher humidity will continue to slow some of the fires. While there will be lightning strikes, the wind does not look especially strong following the storms. This weekend will be partly cloudy and warmer with just a few isolated thunderstorms. Highs will climb back into the 70s and 80s. This rain likely will not put out the fires. The smoke will not completely go away. But, a few days of cooler, wetter weather in the middle of August will be a welcome sight for Montana. Average to below average temperatures with continued moisture from thunderstorms will prevail into the middle of next week. And once again, I believe the worst heat and fire danger of Montana's summer is behind us.
Have a great day,
Curtis Grevenitz
