Wildfires and dangerous fire weather conditions continue to be the "hot" topic here in Montana as new fires are starting and existing fires have seen progress made by fire fighters. The South Fork Fire in the Scapegoat Wilderness was contained by firefighters. Even though the Horse Gulch Fire has grown, fire fighters have made progress on containment and other protective fire lines. The Dalton Fire near Lincoln has had a heavy aerial attack. Less wind created better conditions for the fire fighters to make advancement on defensive positions. Wednesday will still be a hot one with a light east wind. Highs will reach the mid 90s with a few isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Thursday a small low pressure system will kick off isolated showers and thunderstorms and the wind will increase in the afternoon so wildfires have the potential to grow. Highs will be in the 90s and wind gusts could top 20mph. Friday the wind will switch directions and come out of the north with highs in the mid to upper 90s. This weekend will be hot and dry with highs in the 90s, fortunately the wind will not be bad. Wildfire smoke will be variable as the fires in Montana grow but also fires in Oregon and Washington will continue to contribute smoke to our skies. A few isolated thunderstorms are possible early next week and the wind could be a problem once again.
Stay cool,
Curtis Grevenitz
Chief Meteorologist
