Hopeful for clearing on Friday

Today, air quality is forecast to be in the GOOD to UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS range. Overnight, the Treasure Valley could experience periods of UNHEALTHY.

Light to patchy smoke and haze will travel across Idaho today, sparing the most eastern portion of the state for the most part. Limited clearing is expected this afternoon before smoke and haze settles back overnight. Wind on Friday will help further clear smoke and haze across the state. 

NOAA GOES-West GeoColor (true color) visible satellite image captured at 8:31 a.m. MDT on July 23, 2026 shows clouds moving through north Idaho. Areas of smoke are visible over Washington, Central Oregon, and portions of Idaho.

Some clearing in the afternoon, higher AQI overnight

Air quality is forecast to be in the GOOD to UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS range across the state, though portions of the Treasure Valley may experience periods of UNHEALTHY overnight.

There are not many changes from yesterday's forecast. Oregon's fires are the main smoke contributors affecting South and Central Idaho while fires in Washington and British Columbia are impacting North and Central Idaho. Afternoon winds will help clear some of the smoke across the state but lingering smoke at nightfall will be trapped by inversions in valleys and low-lying areas. This trapped smoke will raise air quality index values overnight. 

NOAA GOES-West GeoColor (true color) visible satellite image captured at 9:46 a.m. MDT on July 22, 2026 shows clouds through the region. Areas of smoke are visible over Washington, Central Oregon, and portions of Idaho.

Limited clearing this afternoon

Air quality today is forecast to range mostly from Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The Treasure Valley may experience brief periods of Unhealthy. 

Expect limited clearing of smoke everywhere in the afternoon with increased mixing heights and wind speeds. Come night, however, any lingering smoke and haze will become trapped under surface temperature inversions and settle in valleys and low-lying areas, worsening air quality until those inversions break tomorrow morning. 

An Air Quality Advisory is still in place for Ada, Canyon, Gem, Payette, and Washington Counties. 

NOAA GOES-West GeoColor (true color) visible satellite image captured at 9:36 a.m. MDT on July 21, 2026 shows clouds passing over and areas of smoke visible over Washington, Central Oregon, and portions of Idaho.

Smoke has arrived!!

Air quality is forecast to be in the GOOD to UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS range today, with the worst air quality occurring overnight in the valleys of North and Central Idaho and the Treasure Valley, where it could reach UNHEALTHY.

Patchy smoke and haze will linger for North and Central Idaho today with limited clearing expected from afternoon winds and mixing. Patchy smoke and haze will also linger over the Treasure Valley with limited clearing expected from afternoon winds and mixing. As southerly winds build today, the patchy smoke and haze over the Magic Valley will clear. Light to patchy smoke and haze will drift south from the East Central Mountains and Montana into East Idaho later this evening. As temperatures decrease tonight, lingering smoke and haze across Idaho will become trapped under surface temperature inversions and settle in valleys and low-lying areas which will raise local AQI levels until the inversions break later in the morning.

Air Quality Advisories are in place for all counties in central and north Idaho, as well as some southwest counties. Click here to see the most recent advisories in place. 

RRFS-CONUS Near Surface Smoke model initialized at July 20, 2026 5 a.m. MDT shows smoke and haze from Oregon and Washington drifting into North and Central Idaho, and the Treasure Valley. Light smoke and haze are seen drifting into East Idaho from the East Central Mountains and Montana.

Air Quality Advisory Issued for the Nez Perce Reservation