Locally intense concentrations near active fires

Air quality forecasts for today are in the Good to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups Category.

Today, an upper level trough will pass through Idaho, bringing showers to the elevated terrain surrounding the Snake River Plain and much of Central Idaho.  Winds will be from the northwest to southwest with easterly winds within the Middle Snake River Plain at 5-10 mph.  Thunderstorms will have the capability of producing gusty outflows in excess of 20 mph.

An active weather day will limit smoke impacts to areas near active fires, affecting locations near Salmon and North Fork, as well as in the Panhandle along the Canadian border.  This evening will bring draining smoke across the Camas and Weippe Prairies reaching as far west as Lewiston by 6am MDT tomorrow morning.  Lingering smoke will lift with the breaking of the morning inversions. Smoke also drains south within the Purcell Trench tonight and tomorrow morning reaching Coeur d’Alene by 5am MDT.

HRRR-Smoke Vertically Integrated Smoke initialized 12Z (06am MDT) and valid 11Z (05am MDT 08/23).  This shows locally intense concentrations with downslope drainage across the Panhandle and Central Idaho.