Some clearing over southern and eastern Idaho but lingers overnight

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

The Central Mountains fires are generating smoke and haze across portions of the Central Mountains, southern Idaho, eastern Idaho, and the Clearwater Basin. This afternoon, patchy smoke and haze from the Central Mountains will slowly drift into southern Idaho, the Clearwater Basin, and the eastern highlands. Limited clearing is expected for portions of southern and eastern Idaho. Overnight, smoke and haze will linger over the Central Mountains, the Treasure Valley and the Clearwater Basin. As temperatures decrease tonight, lingering smoke can become trapped under surface temperature inversions and raise local Air Quality Index 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 6, 2024, shows areas of smoke and haze from the Central Mountains extending into portions of North and southern Idaho.