The heat and smoke you feel and smell isn't going anywhere.
That's according to meteorologists at the National Weather Service's Great Falls office, whose forecast shows persistent heat, elevated fire weather and smoky skies through at least the weekend.
The culprit is an upper level ridge — an elongated area of high pressure drawing warm air up from the south — that has persisted across Western states.
The ridge is expected to break down this weekend, which will cause high winds. But paired with temperatures near 100 degrees on Saturday, there is a higher risk of fire danger late Saturday and on Sunday.
The smoke that has driven the air quality in many parts of Montana to unhealthy conditions is coming from wildfires in Oregon and Washington.
"Smoke will also be rather persistent this week, though the extent of the smoke will depend on how exactly the fires in Oregon and Washington behave," the NWS said in its forecast.
Most lower-elevation areas in central and southwest Montana will see temperatures in the 90s each afternoon through the week, with the heat peaking on Saturday, possibly in widespread triple-digit temperatures.