Idaho Smoke Map

Idaho Smoke Map Legend

**(Preliminary Data Warning: Data found on the map shown below is preliminary and is subject to change. Data is in local standard time format - no adjustment for daylight savings time.)

Friday, September 20, 2024

Nice weekend ahead

Today's air quality is forecast to be in the Good to Moderate range. 

Fires in the Central Mountains of Idaho and Central Oregon are continuing to generate smoke and haze, but the regional impacts have diminished with recent weather moving through. As the fires are smoldering, light smoke and haze will linger in the local areas. Currently, light smoke and haze are seen across portions of the Treasure Valley and Central Mountains. Afternoon winds will provide for clearing for those areas while pushing the light smoke and haze into the Magic Valley and then into East Idaho where it will remain over the Southeast Highlands overnight. Light smoke and haze will move into the Clearwater Basin and Idaho Panhandle this afternoon, lingering overnight before dispersing tomorrow afternoon. As temperatures decrease tonight, lingering smoke and haze can become trapped under surface temperature inversions and raise local AQI levels until the inversions break later the in morning, offering clearing. 


HRRR-NCEP Near Surface Smoke initialized 12Z (6 a.m. MDT) 20 September 2024 shows that the regional smoke and haze impacts from wildfires have diminished with recent weather moving through. 


Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Air still looking Good to Moderate across state

Today’s air quality is forecast to be in the Good to Moderate range. Areas near remaining local fires could experience brief periods of Unhealthy. 

The fires in the Central Mountains of Idaho and Central Oregon are continuing to generate smoke and haze, though regional impacts have diminished with recent rain. As the fires are smoldering, light smoke and haze will linger in the local areas. Currently, light smoke and haze are seen across the Treasure Valley. This afternoon, the light smoke and haze will linger across South Idaho through Thursday afternoon. As temperatures decrease tonight, lingering smoke and haze can become trapped under surface temperature inversions and raise local AQI levels until the inversions break later the in morning, offering clearing.

Video: The HRRR-NCEP Near Surface Smoke model, initialized at 6 a.m. MDT September 18, 2024, shows that the regional smoke and haze impacts from wildfires have diminished with recent weather moving through.