Daytime highs reached into the 90s in western Montana on Monday and temperatures could hit 105 in the Bitterroot and Missoula valleys this week.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a heat advisory for the Bitterroot, Missoula, Flathead and Mission valleys, the Kootenai/Cabinet region and lower Clark Fork River region that will go into effect at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9 and is expected to last through midnight on Friday. Hot temperatures, in the 90s and 100s, are expected through this upcoming weekend.
The hottest temperatures are expected Tuesday through Thursday, when western Montana could see highs up to 105 degrees, according to NWS reports. Temperatures in southwest Montana are expected to be in the mid-90s, while central Idaho valleys could see temperatures between 105-112 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Ten-year-old Abbey Smithson and 6-year-old Bodie Smithson of Reno, Nevada, beat the heat by spending time in the Bitterroot River on Monday, July 8 while enjoying a trip to visit family. Temperatures topped 90 degrees in Hamilton on Monday as a heat wave expected to bring a week of temperatures at or above 90 degrees descends across much of western Montana.
“We're not really going to be breaking records in the Bitterroot Valley or Missoula,” NWS meteorologist Joe Messina said on Monday. “It's the prolonged nature of this heat wave that we're worried about… People should be prepared, not just for hot days, but prolonged hot days.”
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Starting Tuesday, the temperature in the Missoula area is predicted to be at or above 95 degrees for the next seven days. That would tie the eighth-longest number of consecutive days greater than or equal to 95 degrees in the Missoula area, a record set in 1948. The record for the longest number of consecutive days with a high temperature greater than or equal to 95 degrees recorded in Missoula is 12 days, set in 1960.
Nighttime lows are expected to offer some reprieve from the heat, with temperatures dipping into 60s.
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Fishermen float down the Bitterroot River near Hamilton on Monday, July 8. Temperatures topped 90 degrees in Hamilton on Monday as a heat wave expected to bring a week of temperatures at or above 90 degrees descends across much of western Montana.
Messina said people should prepare for ways to stay cool, as this level of heat can be dangerous. Officials recommend people drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Do not leave children or pets in cars, as the temperatures predicted can be lethal within a few minutes.
“People who don't have air conditioning, any kind of vulnerable populations, elderly, young children, pets and livestock — this is the type of situation where we want people to pay attention, check in on your loved ones,” Messina said. “Certainly, don't leave kids or pets locked in vehicles while you're out into the store — it's not okay — and check in on the elderly. Check in on your family members, especially those who don't have air conditioning, and those who don't have a way to cool themselves. If you're going to be outside working this week and in the outdoors, take extra breaks, bring extra water, grab some shade when you can, maybe adjust your hours — work earlier or later and take the middle of the day off.”
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Fishermen line the banks of the Bitterroot River in Hamilton on Monday, July 8.
A brief but noticeable change is expected to occur on Thursday, allowing for increased westerly wind gusts around 20 mph which could impact wildland fire concerns.
Fire danger level is currently at “moderate” on the Lolo and Bitterroot National Forests, but could rise later in the week depending on conditions. The prolonged heat and lower relative humidity can dry out forest fuels, leading to increased chances of wildfire.
The prolonged heat is likely to have impacts on some health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure. The Climate Prediction Center continues to show a high likelihood for well above normal temperatures persisting through the weekend of the July 20.