Weather Alert

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT... THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR BEAVERHEAD, BROADWATER, CASCADE, DEER LODGE, FLATHEAD, GALLATIN, GLACIER, GRANITE, JEFFERSON, LAKE, LEWIS AND CLARK, LINCOLN, MADISON, MEAGHER, MINERAL, MISSOULA, PARK, PONDERA, POWELL, RAVALLI, SANDERS, SILVER BOW, AND TETON COUNTIES IN EFFECT UNTIL 9/19/2020 9 AM DUE TO HEAVY WILDFIRE SMOKE AND ELEVATED PARTICULATE CONCENTRATIONS. THIS ALERT WILL BE UPDATED AGAIN AT 9/19/2020 9 AM. AN AIR QUALITY ALERT MEANS THAT PARTICULATES HAVE BEEN TRENDING UPWARDS AND THAT AN EXCEEDENCE OF THE 24 HOUR NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARD (NAAQS) HAS OCCURRED OR MAY OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS OF 4 PM, PARTICULATE LEVELS IN COLUMBIA FALLS, FRENCHTOWN, HAMILTON, LIBBY, MISSOULA, SEELEY LAKE, AND THOMPSON FALLS ARE UNHEALTHY. AS OF 4 PM, PARTICULATE LEVELS IN BILLINGS, BOZEMAN, BUTTE, CUT BANK, DILLON, GREAT FALLS, HELENA, AND LEWISTOWN ARE UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS. AS OF 4 PM, PARTICULATE LEVELS IN BIRNEY, BROADUS, MALTA, SIDNEY, WEST YELLOWSTONE ARE MODERATE. WHEN AIR QUALITY IS UNHEALTHY... STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY OR HEART DISEASE, THE ELDERLY, AND CHILDREN SHOULD AVOID PROLONGED EXERTION; EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD LIMIT PROLONGED EXERTION. WHEN AIR QUALITY IS UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS... STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY OR HEART DISEASE, THE ELDERLY AND CHILDREN SHOULD LIMIT PROLONGED EXERTION. WHEN AIR QUALITY IS MODERATE... STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS RECOMMEND THAT UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER REDUCING PROLONGED OR HEAVY EXERTION. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT HTTP://TODAYSAIR.MT.GOV.