The National Weather Service office in Great Falls cancelled the Air Quality Alert for Lewis and Clark County on August 2 at 9:12 a.m. MDT. The alert had also covered Beaverhead, Blaine, Broadwater, Cascade, Deer Lodge, Fergus, Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Petroleum, Phillips, Powell, Ravalli, and Silver Bow counties.
The alert was driven by wildfire smoke, which has blanketed much of the region in recent days as fires burn across Western Montana and into neighboring states. With the cancellation, air quality in Helena had improved enough that NWS Great Falls determined the advisory threshold was no longer being met.
Residents who are sensitive to smoke — including those with asthma, heart conditions, or other respiratory concerns — can check current conditions and forecasts at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality's air quality monitoring site at todaysair.mt.gov. Conditions can change quickly when new fires ignite or wind shifts push smoke back into the valley.