Hazardous air quality near fires in the Central Mountains

Today’s air quality is forecast to be in the Good to Very Unhealthy range. Areas near the Central Mountains 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 and South Idaho. The upper low moving through is pushing more smoke across South Idaho towards East Idaho. Light to patchy smoke and haze are visible over North Idaho. This afternoon, areas of smoke from the Central Mountains will continue to drift into the Magic Valley, Treasure Valley, and East Idaho. Limited clearing is expected for North Idaho tomorrow afternoon as the winds drive the smoke and haze southward. Once the upper-level ridging strengthens, near surface smoke and haze will persist. 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 September 3, 2024 shows areas of smoke and haze from local fires in the Central Mountains and East Oregon extending across South Idaho into East Idaho. Light to patchy smoke and haze are visible over North Idaho.