A FIRE WEATHER WATCH has been issued for locations on the Northern Rocky Mountain Front- including St. Mary, Cut Bank, Teton Pass, Augusta, Conrad, and Chester. Gusty winds and hot temperatures, along with isolated thunderstorms later this evening, contribute to an elevated fire risk. While this area will see a heightened increase in Fire Weather Danger, this area is considerably smaller than the area that was under a Red Flag Warning yesterday.
Montana’s first big wildfire of the 2018 season has begun burning near Missoula. The Reynolds Creek Fire is around 250 acres in size.
Afternoon high temperatures will be slightly cooler than yesterday. Yes, many locations will be in the mid- to- upper- 80s, but this is a few degrees cooler than high temperatures yesterday.
This afternoon, isolated thunderstorms in North- Central Montana will start to pop up. The main concern with these storms will be lightning, which could spark wildfires in very dry and windy conditions. This evening is when thunderstorms will begin to pop up on the hi-line from Cut Bank to Havre. Again, stray lightning with these storms will be of concern, especially in the area under a fire weather watch.
Have a great day!
Katie Alexander
