Hazardous levels of smoke in Central Mountains

Today’s air quality is forecast to be in the Good to Very Unhealthy range. Areas near regional and local fires could experience periods of Hazardous.

The fires in the Central Mountains of Idaho are generating areas of thick smoke and haze across portions of the Central Mountains, South Idaho, East Idaho while light to patchy smoke and haze are visible over the Clearwater Basin. This afternoon, areas of smoke from the Central Mountains will continue to drift into the Magic Valley, Treasure Valley, and Southeast Highlands. The southward movement will temporarily provide for limited clearing across East Idaho this afternoon before more smoke moves in early tomorrow morning. Areas of smoke will linger across South and East Idaho over the weekend as the low system approaches on Sunday, shifting the overall flow more southwesterly which will aid in smoke dispersion Sunday evening. With the light winds, areas of smoke from the Central Mountains and Bitterroot Mountains will also spread north into the Clearwater Basin tomorrow. As temperatures decrease tonight, lingering smoke can become trapped under surface temperature inversions and raise local AQI levels until the inversions break later the in morning, offering limited clearing.

HRRR-NCEP Near Surface Smoke model initialized at 6 a.m. MDT August 30, 2024 shows areas of smoke and haze from local fires in the Central Mountains extending across South and East Idaho. Light to patchy smoke and haze are visible over the Clearwater Basin.