Continued hazy skies and some surface smoke

Air quality was in the GOOD to MODERATE category yesterday and is forecast to be in the GOOD to UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS category through the weekend.

Idaho will remain under a broad high pressure ridge until the next low pressure system starts to impact the area on Sunday. Daytime heating and instability will result in isolated afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms over the elevated terrain. Shower and thunderstorm chances will increase on Sunday with the next system. Afternoon winds over much of the state will be light and variable with primarily northerly and easterly components through Saturday before they pick up with the incoming system on Sunday.

Numerous fires in Canada (mostly in the province of Alberta, north of Idaho) continue to create widespread haze over Idaho with smoke reaching the surface across much of the state, including valley locations (the smoke has been traveling down the Snake River Plain from east to west due to northerly winds in the eastern half of the state). Smoke is forecast to remain at the surface until the next system starts to clear it out on Sunday.

RAP-NCEP-Smoke Near Surface Smoke initialized 15Z (9am MDT) 19 May 2023 and valid at 6pm MDT 20 May 2023 shows light smoke impacts at the surface over parts of north Idaho and much of south Idaho.