MISSOULA — With high pressure building over the northern Rockies to end the week, expect smoke and hot temperatures to be a fixture through Saturday.
Expect highs in the low to mid 90s Thursday. Thunderstorms will once again develop this afternoon and evening across southwest Montana. Most of those will occur along and east of the divide.
By Friday, abnormally hot temperatures move into the northern Rockies. Temperatures between 100 and 110 degrees will exist both Friday and Saturday for locations such as Orofino south through Riggins in Idaho. Western Montana will see temperatures soar well into the 90s with some locations even reaching 100. The most likely locations for this are valleys nestled against the MT/ID border, where high temps between 100 to 105 degrees could occur both days.
By Sunday and Monday of next week, we are watching the potential for a surge of monsoon moisture to bring widespread rain showers and thunderstorms to the entire northern Rockies. These will start Sunday in west-central and southwest Montana then move into northwest Montana Monday. Storms will have the potential to be very wet with heavy rain possible at times. Stay tuned for updates as we move through the next few days.
