A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
At least for a few hours. At 1730 MDT, a thunderstorm with Force 8 winds rolled in from the northwest, clearing out heavy smoke that had cut visibility to less than two miles and raised the fine particulate level to 215 micrograms per cubic meter at 1500. At 2100, when the photograph below was made, the one-hour value was down to just five µg/m^3.
In the photograph, the hospital is slightly under two miles distant, while the mountains are approximately 15 miles away. Twenty-four hours earlier, the hospital was barely visible, and everything beyond it was invisible.
Smoke will return to the valley late tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service.
