302
FXUS65 KMSO 020839
AFDMSO
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
239 AM MDT SUN AUG 2 2026
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGES:
- COOLER, BUT STILL BREEZY TOMORROW.
- SMOKE TO WORSEN FOR THE REGION AS A WHOLE DUE TO MORE FIRES IN
THE LOCAL AREA AND SMOKE PRODUCTION FROM WASHINGTON STATE.
- WARMING AND DRYING TREND THROUGH THE WEEK, NO RAIN EXPECTED FOR
THE UPCOMING WEEK.
A DRY COLD FRONT THAT PASSED THROUGH THE REGION LAST NIGHT WILL
CAUSE MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES TODAY. BREEZY WEST WINDS WILL USHER
A COOLER AIR MASS INTO THE REGION THROUGH THE DAY, HELPING TO
OFFSET SOME OF THE DAYTIME HEATING.
THOSE WINDS WILL ALSO BRING SMOKE FROM WASHINGTON AND OREGON INTO
THE REGION. YESTERDAY WAS A VERY ACTIVE DAY FOR WILDLAND FIRE
ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWED AT LOT
OF SMOKE PRODUCTION. THE DRY COLD FRONT YESTERDAY ALSO CAUSED SOME
LOCAL WILDLAND FIRES TO EXPAND, SO NOW WE HAVE MORE SMOKE COMING
IN FROM THE WEST AND MORE LOCAL SMOKE TO ADD TO IT. OVERALL, THE
SMOKE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO WORSEN BY THIS EVENING AND FOR
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AT LEAST.
THE RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN U.S. BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION THIS
WEEK, CAUSING A WARMING AND DRYING TREND AGAIN. EARLIER THIS
SUMMER WHEN THAT HAPPENED IT BROUGHT MOISTURE FROM THE NORTH
AMERICAN MONSOON WITH IT CAUSING HIGHER HUMIDITY AND
THUNDERSTORMS. THAT WILL NOT BE THE CASE THIS TIME, AND AS IT
WARMS UP IT WILL GET MUCH DRIER AGAIN WITH NO RAIN IN SIGHT FOR A
WEEK.
AVIATION
VERY ACTIVE FIRE WEATHER YESTERDAY ACROSS THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST CAUSED A LOT OF SMOKE PRODUCTION FROM THE REGION'S
WILDLAND FIRES. AND THAT SMOKE IS HEADED TOWARDS MONTANA. IT'S
VERY DIFFICULT TO FORECAST VISIBILITY FROM SMOKE, BUT FROM
EXPERIENCE AND WHAT SMOKE WAS VISIBLE ON SATELLITE LAST EVENING,
MVFR RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE AT AREA TERMINALS TODAY DUE TO ALL
THE SMOKE AND WEST WINDS. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO BE ABOUT 20
DEGREES COOLER TODAY DUE TO A COOLER AIR MASS, BUT THE THICK SMOKE
MAY ALSO REDUCE TEMPERATURES MORE DUE TO REDUCED SOLAR HEATING.
MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR DEERLODGE/WEST
BEAVERHEAD...EAST BEAVERHEAD.
ID...
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page