Residents of western Montana and northern Idaho can expect to see some relief from the drought and wildfire smoke that have plagued the area for many weeks.
Following a Red Flag Warning that is in effect Wednesday for southwest Montana, precipitation is in the forecast for Thursday night and Friday. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for parts of western Montana.
The storm system will move into the northern Rockies on Thursday and Friday bringing rain and snow to the region. Some of the higher elevations could receive one to six inches of snow while the lower elevations can expect rain. The Lolo Peak Fire south of Missoula, for example, could get over one-half inch of rain.
Thanks for this great publication you put together for us Bill. I really appreciate it.
I live on the East side of the Bitterroot Valley up on a ridge, with the town of Florence due West. I reported 4 smokes with azimuths on July 15, the morning after the lightning storm. Lolo dispatch was already aware. On July 19th, I watched a heavy helicopter with bucket, chug from the Sapphire Complex East of me over to the Lolo smokes which now appeared to have drawn together. Without boring everyone to tears, it was, and is, an absolute money-gobbling atrocity that has taken place.
I thought I knew what unrelenting, nasty smoke was having made my first lengthy visit to the Klamath in 1973 on the Off Fire. Followed by the Hog in 1977 with the Redding Hotshots, and as a Division Sup for two 21 day rotations on the 1987 debacle. I’m here to tell you, the Klamath has nothing on what the Bitterroot Valley has seen this year. People are worn out and pissed off. As they should be. I have tomotoe plants full of fruit as big as softballs, and they are green as a gour and rock hard. NO sun has brought any of them to ripeness.
After 37 years with the outfit, I fully understand the wise use of fire on National Forest Lands. What I do not understand, is in this day and age of meteorological forecasting expertise, how anyone at any level . to the Chief of the Forest Service can justify a basically “sit back and watch it go” strategy,with so many homes, and peoples health at risk. Call me one Pissed-Off Forest Service retiree. End of rant!
thank you for all the posts you send me.