Smoke impacts more widespread now

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

The fires in the Central Mountains of Idaho and eastern Oregon are generating areas of smoke and haze across portions of the Central Mountains, North Idaho, and portions of the Treasure Valley. This afternoon, patchy smoke and haze will drift into southern and eastern Idaho. Limited clearing is expected for portions of the Clearwater Basin and the Owyhee Mountains. With winds becoming breezy, smoke from the Central Mountains will move eastward into Montana. Overnight, patchy smoke and haze will linger over the Treasure Valley, the Magic Valley, eastern and northern Idaho before more limited clearing takes place tomorrow afternoon. Patchy to thick smoke and haze will stay over portions of the Central Mountains. 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.

Video: HRRR-NCEP Near Surface Smoke model,, initialized at 6 a.m. MDT September 9, 2024, shows areas of smoke and haze from the Central Mountains and eastern Oregon extending into portions of North, East, and South Idaho. This afternoon, patchy smoke and haze will drift into South and East Idaho.