MISSOULA - Weather conditions today will not be favorable for wildfire season, but relief does look to come soon.
Gusty winds will pick up today in the afternoon, running anywhere from 15 mph to 50 mph.
The winds, along with the high heat today, led to a Red Flag Warning issued for certain areas in Montana.
Red Flag Warnings typically follow a Fire Weather Watch, which is what we saw issued over the weekend.
Red Flag Warnings indicate that conditions within the next few hours are critical for new fires and current fires.
The Red Flag Warning for today will go into effect at 2 p.m. and stay in place until midnight.
At that point, the National Weather Service may update the warning.
Fortunately, temperatures do look to cool down tomorrow back into a normal(ish) range.
The relief from the heat will help somewhat with fire weather, but winds are expected to continue into Tuesday.
Air quality will need to continue to be monitored by those who are sensitive to haze and smoke.
Winds today and tomorrow will likely push around smoke from local fires into surrounding areas.
The rest of the week looks dry and sunny, with temperatures in the 90s.
