Rain gives a reprieve to smoke, but fires far from out

Hurricane Harvey will bring heavy rain to Texas, but as it moves across the U.S. in the coming days it won’t do much to break up a persistent high pressure ridge over Montana. If anything, it will make the ridge stronger, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Noble of Missoula.

The long range models, Noble said Thursday, show the ridge staying in place for at least the next couple of weeks,

There was a respite from smoke and fire in the Flathead Valley Thursday as a weak front moved through. It brought about a .10 inch of rain to West Glacier and one remote station near Hungry Horse received about .33 inch of rain.

But things are expected to dry out quickly and temperatures could be near 90 by Sunday once again.

The hot, dry summer has not been due to an El Nino in the Pacific Ocean, Noble noted. Currently, the ocean’s currents are considered to be in a neutral state. El Nino usually means dry, warm winters.

The largest local fire is the Sprague Fire in Glacier National Park.

That fire is currently about 1,500 acres. Fire managers say it’s expected to continue to burn until a “season ending event” happens, which usually means a prolonged spell of rain, snow, or both.

The rain Thursday at least gave a respite to the smoke, which was thick over Glacier Park’s Lake McDonald on Wednesday.

Friday’s weather should be pleasant in Glacier, with highs in the 60s and 70s. Temperatures will warm up each day after that and smoky conditions are likely to come back again.