Mammoth Portion of Montana Now Under Excessive Heat Watch

Montana weather has become dangerous with high temperatures of 100 or more, very low humidity, and windy conditions in portions of the state. Wildfires are burning and smoke has made air quality unhealthy.

Many counties in Montana are facing several days of temperatures of up to 105 this week. Excessive Heat Warnings have been issued and those people with heat-sensitive conditions need to be very careful. Dehydration and heat stroke are big risks.

• AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.
• WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures up to 105 degrees possible.
• The hottest temperatures will be near and east of Billings.
• WHERE...Portions of central, south central, and southeast Montana and north central Wyoming.
• WHEN...From Wednesday morning through Thursday evening.
• IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events.
• ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Wednesday night will be quite warm, with low temperatures near or above 70 degrees near and east of Billings.
• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

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Montana also have many Fire Weather Watches in effect. Fire zones are labeled on the map below. There are ALSO Air Quality Alerts in effect due to wildfire smoke and particulates in the air.

• FIRE WEATHER WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.
• Affected areas: Fire Zone 110 (Deerlodge/West Beaverhead). Fire Zone 111 (East Beaverhead). and FIRE WEATHER ZONES 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, AND 118.
• ADDITIONAL AFFECTED AREAS..Hill and Blaine Counties, Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District-Rocky Mountain Front, Chouteau and Fergus Counties, Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National Forest, Central and Eastern Lewis and Clark National Forest Areas and Helena and Townsend Ranger Districts of the Helena National Forest.
• TEMPERATURES...Up to 97.
• THUNDERSTORMS...Scattered afternoon thunderstorms. Some storms will produce strong wind gusts.
• Impacts: The combination of gusty winds, low humidity, chances for thunderstorms, and an unstable atmosphere will result in critical fire weather conditions, increasing the risk for new and existing fires to spread quickly.
• Winds: Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts of 20 to 35 mph
• Minimum humidities: 10 to 15 percent