Wildfire and Smoke Update

Fires continue to burn across the West with higher-than-normal activity for this early in the summer. Most of the wildfires are located across the Southwest and Southern Rockies, but a few fires have started up north as well.

Several fires are burning across Eastern Utah and Western Colorado, and smoke is or will be impacting portions of the Colorado high country as a result.

Several large fires continue to burn across Arizona as well.

Farther north, a large fire also started east of Mt. Hood in Oregon on Friday.

Currently, fire danger is highest across the Southwest and into California. Moderate fire danger with isolated pockets of high danger is present across the Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Central/Eastern Colorado.

Forecast for Monday, June 21

A trough of low pressure is located just off of the California Coast as of Monday morning. This slow-moving trough will meander into the Western U.S. this week, resulting in increasing thunderstorm chances from west to east over the course of the week.

Warmer than average temperatures will continue west of the Continental Divide on Monday with the highest departure from average temperatures expected across the Pacific Northwest.

Cooler temperatures will persist east of the Continental Divide, especially in Colorado and New Mexico where temperatures will be refreshingly below average.

Most of the West will be dry and sunny on Monday. Southern Oregon will see the best chance of thunderstorms in response to the approaching area of low pressure and a few strong storms will be possible. 

Forecast for Tuesday, June 22

Temperatures will quickly heat back up east of the Continental Divide on Tuesday while the West Coast will see onshore flow and cooler temperatures, especially near the Bay Area where the coolest anomalies are expected. 

Thunderstorm coverage will be most widespread across Southern and Eastern Oregon, while isolated storms will also develop across Central Idaho east to the Montana border. The Southern Rockies, Southwest, and perhaps even Southern California could see some isolated thunderstorms develop, but they will be of the "dry" variety with minimal rainfall expected. 

Forecast for Wednesday, June 23

The Southwest will see a cooling trend on Wednesday while well-above-average warmth persists across the Northern Rockies and Interior Northwest.

Thunderstorm chances will increase across the Rockies on Wednesday afternoon as a trough of low pressure moves inland, with more isolated activity expected across the Southern Cascades, Sierras, and Southern California Mountains.

Forecast for Thursday, June 24

Most areas of the West will see cooler temperatures on Thursday compared to prior days as a strong disturbance moves inland. A cold front will also slide south of the border into Montana on Thursday with a more noticeable cooldown expected for the Glacier National Park region east of the Divide.

Another uptick in thunderstorms is expected across the Rockies on Thursday with coverage extending to areas east of the Continental Divide as well. The highest thunderstorm coverage is expected across the Central Rockies, but most mountainous regions outside of the Pacific Northwest will see at least a chance of storms.

Showers and thunderstorms will also become more widespread across eastern portions of Glacier National Park in response to the mentioned cold front.

Forecast for Friday, June 25

Colder temperatures will overtake areas east of the Continental Divide in Wyoming and Colorado on Friday. Meanwhile, high pressure will strengthen over the Pacific Northwest with unseasonably warm temperatures expected across Western Washington and Oregon. 

Another active thunderstorm day is expected across the Central Rockies, with the most widespread shower/thunderstorm coverage and heaviest rains expected east of the Divide.

Outlook for Sat, June 26 – Wed, June 30

A ridge of high pressure will build along the West Coast this weekend and next week, resulting in unseasonable warmth and near-record temperatures for the Pacific Northwest. Somewhat cooler temperatures are expected east of the Continental Divide.

Moisture is expected to increase somewhat across the Four Corners region during this time, resulting in isolated thunderstorms, but rainfall is generally expected to be light. Areas along and east of the Continental Divide could also see some thunderstorm activity. 

Thanks for reading and check back for our next forecast on Wednesday, June 23rd!

ALAN SMITH

Download & Save Offline Maps
 
Headed out of service? Download and save high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery base maps in the OpenSummit app (Settings > Your Offline Maps) to be able to see your exact location on the map, even without cell service.

The GPS in your mobile device works perfectly offline, even when the network is nonexistent.
 
App → OpenSummit.com/app
 
Send Us Your Photos
 
Have you taken any cool photos related to weather, mountain, nature, or outdoor recreation in the Western U.S. recently? If so, send it over to [email protected] for a chance to have your photo featured in the next Daily Summit!