BOZEMAN – Short-term weather pattern is the most active in this week’s weather forecast.
A mostly dry cold front is passing through SW Montana producing strong surface wind gusts, hot temperatures, and low humidity.
This combination has a RED FLAG WARNING up for the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest areas through 9 pm Monday. This means conditions are favorable for new fire starts and for small fires to grow out of control. Please be extremely careful with all outdoor activities for the rest of today.
The National Weather Service has a HIGH WIND WARNING up for SW Montana both west and east of the divide through midnight Monday. Strong surface winds are likely and peak gusts up to or over 60 mph are possible which could produce property damage.
A column of wildfire smoke was very noticeable last night at sunset between Butte and Bozeman. A new wildfire near Salmon, ID developed Sunday and by Monday afternoon has grown to 1,000 acres. Hot, dry and windy weather today will likely mean this fire will be growing and more smoke is possible to drift over the northern half of SW Montana for the rest of the week.
Temperatures will be trending slightly cooler behind the cold front working through the region now and a very brief cool down is in your Tuesday forecast.
Temperatures will begin to rise again above normal by Wednesday.
