News you can use
News you can use
Clearing and warmer expected by Friday; Hill County Health Department has air quality monitor
Trees block the afternoon sun on a warm Monday at the walking trail at Patterson Park. The high temperature in Havre Monday was 80, far below the record high of 92 set in 1917 but well higher than the normal high for May 15 of 67 degrees. The temperatures went even higher Tuesday, hitting 87 - the record set in 1988 is 95. The highs today and Thursday are expected to be closer to normal, 70 and 68, with with more haze and smoke expected on those days before the smoky conditions are expected to lessen by Friday.
National Weather Service is warning that smoke from Canadian wildfires is likely to be in this region today and Thursday, although it is expected to clear up some by Friday.
Hill County Health Department has announced that, with the assistance and collaboration of Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Montana State University-Northern, it now has a permanent air quality monitor people can use to check the conditions in this area.
The monitor is available online at http://todaysair.mtdeq.us with available stations, including the Havre station, available to click on on a map of the state.
The monitor showed a spike Tuesday with air quality going from "good" into "moderate," but the Weather Service notice warns that conditions today and Thursday could impact air quality and visibility.
Conditions were worse farther east, with the air quality monitor in Malta showing conditions going to "very unhealthy" this morning and the station in Sidney reported conditions reaching "hazardous" this morning.
The Weather Service warning says wind flow across the area is expected to turn west by Friday, which should reduce the impact of the smoke and conditions are expected to improve.
After highs in 80s Monday and Tuesday, the temperatures are expected to cool off to the 60s and low 70s today and Thursday before getting back to the uppers 70s or 80s Friday and through the weekend.
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