Continued Smoke Aloft; Potential for Weekend Increases

 

Air quality forecasts for today are in the good to moderate category.                    

Regional smoke is expected to stay out of Idaho today with smoke from California fires tracking over portions of central and southern Idaho aloft.  This lofted smoke is over central Idaho along the OR/WA/ID intersection this morning and will track to the south-southeast expanding over the Lower and Middle Snake River Plain.  

The atmosphere will be slightly more unstable tomorrow, allowing this smoke to reach the surface in the afternoon and evening across central and southwest Idaho, particularly in the late morning hours.  By 9pm, this wave of lofted smoke will span the entire state from the Canadian border to the Nevada border and east to the Middle Snake River Plain.  Because of the timing of this smoke, it is not expected to reach the surface; however, if it arrives earlier, that possibility then exists.  By Sunday, the zonal flow should help alleviate any smoke issues as the flow aloft becomes separated from California and will limit smoke to the southern border. 

Smoke impacts at the surface are expected to be limited to areas near any local fires with the possibility of hazy surface smoke on Saturday afternoon over central and southwest Idaho.  Generally hazy conditions with smoke aloft should be expected across the southwest and portions of central Idaho and expanding in coverage tomorrow afternoon and evening to encompass all of northern Idaho as well as southern Idaho into the Middle Snake River Plain.

06Z HRRR-Smoke Vertically Integrated Smoke: Smoke modeled at midnight MDT Sunday morning indicates a streak of lofted smoke spanning the entire state from north to south.  This smoke is expected to stay aloft and not reach the surface.