BOZEMAN – A northerly flow aloft is creating slightly cooler temperatures today and improved air quality conditions.
Unfortunately, this pattern will not last much longer as a High-pressure ridge is parked over the Pacific NW and is holding some extremely hot air. This ridge pattern will begin to push into far western Montana tomorrow and should increase temperatures over SW Montana beginning Thursday.
There are widespread Heat Advisories up over Oregon and Washington and into central Idaho. Triple digit heat is impacting the Pacific NW with the ridge pattern mentioned above.
The other weather hazard to watch for Wednesday into Thursday is dry thunderstorms. As the flow aloft veers out of the west to SW there could be some mid to upper-level moisture pushing into the region. This along with increasing temperatures means the lower levels are extremely dry creating the potential for dry thunderstorms.
By the weekend temperatures will once again reach the mid 90s for many of the lower elevation valleys in SW Montana.
