MISSOULA — Poor air quality across much of western Montana today and tomorrow.

High pressure and hot, dry conditions are causing fires in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to produce large amounts of smoke.

On both Monday and Tuesday, temperatures will be around 27 degrees Celsius.

And then, on Wednesday, something changes in our weather pattern.

A strong low pressure area is moving inland from the Pacific Ocean, causing temperatures to drop to around 21 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 10 degrees Celsius on Thursday and 10 to 15 degrees Celsius on Friday.

This system also looks to bring widespread, persistent rain. Models are showing at least .50″ of rain across western Montana on Saturday.

However, there is a good chance of even more precipitation, with a 50-60% chance of 1 to 2 inches of rain from Wednesday through Saturday across western Montana.

The rain looks set to clear over the weekend, promising a beautiful autumnal weekend with temperatures generally around 17 to 21 degrees Celsius.