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Western Montana air quality: What a difference 2 years makes

EyeCam Smoke Comparison
Posted at 10:03 AM, Sep 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-05 12:03:28-04

It's a summer that Western Montana hasn't experienced in several years -- no 100 degree temperatures to speak of and clear skies.

But some of us may still remember the summer of 2017 -- the year Montana was on fire.

We dug through our archives and below is the exactly the same view from our St. Patrick Eye Cam exactly two years apart.

Local health department officials have said 2017 was Missoula's worst year for air quality and people couldn't go outside because the air was so hazardous.

RELATED: Missoula air quality: What a difference a year makes

But now fast forward two years, the weather has been almost perfect with warm temperatures and clear skies -- for the most part.

There were smokey skies in the Mission Valley on Wednesday from a wildfire burning near Hot Springs.

But the smoke is creating a beautiful pallet of purple, orange and red hues and unforgettable sunsets.

The only benefit to smoke in the skies.

Cooler weather moving into the forecast tomorrow night which should do a good job of pushing that smoke out of Western Montana.