This could be the hottest week of the summer.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Alex Lukenbeal in Missoula said a powerful high pressure system is settling over western Montana with temperatures getting near the mid 90’s.

“Tuesday’s going to be the warmest day in Missoula with a high of about 96 degrees,” Lukenbeal said. “Our normal high is 88 degrees, so it’s not really abnormally hot but it’s definitely on the hotter side. We’re going to be seeing some upper level moisture increase from the south associated with monsoon moisture from the southwest, and that’s going to allow for us to generate some isolated thunderstorms.”

Lukenbeal said residents in western Montana should be happy they don’t live just a few miles south and west in Idaho, where’s it’s going to get very hot.

Just how hot?

“Especially across the lower elevations in central Idaho down by Grangeville and Orofino, the Salmon River Valley and hells Canyon,” he said. “They’re going to be reaching the triple digits with a few years reaching into the mod-100’s, with Hells Canyon reaching into the 110 range.”

The lightning that occurred on Missoula on Saturday was primarily ‘cloud to cloud’ lightning, and there were no fire reported in the Missoula area, however, according to DNRC Fire Prevention Specialist Jordan Koppen, there were some small fires reported in the Glacier Park area.

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