Heat Advisory tonight with hazy skies through the weekend

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- A heat advisory is in effect until 11 p.m. tonight for much of southern Idaho. The National Weather Service issued the advisory for the Snake River Plain and surrounding highlands as hot, dry conditions remain in place across the region.

Wildfire smoke will continue to impact regional air quality intermittently over the next few days. An air quality advisory remains in effect for Custer County due to the smoke.

While most areas are seeing mid-to-upper 90s today, localized spots could reach 100 degrees. The heat advisory covers the Eastern Magic Valley, Shoshone, the Arco and Mud Lake Desert, the Blackfoot Mountains and the Snake River Plain. The weather service reported a very small chance for isolated showers or storms this afternoon, primarily in the South Hills.

Areas of smoke are expected to persist across the region for the next several days. The forecast for Sunday includes sunny skies with a high near 94 degrees and light winds gusting up to 24 mph. Patchy smoke is expected to continue through Sunday evening with temperatures dropping to a low of approximately 61 degrees.

Monday and Tuesday are forecast to remain sunny with high temperatures near 93 degrees. Low temperatures at night will hover around 60 degrees. Weather forecasters expect a cooling trend to begin Sunday and continue through the upcoming week as an upper weather ridge flattens.

A westerly push of air is anticipated to contribute to the decrease in temperatures. By late week, the flow aloft is expected to become southwesterly, which may allow monsoonal moisture to return to the region. High temperatures are projected to fall below normal levels by Thursday.

A better chance for precipitation is expected to arrive Thursday and last through next Saturday. During this time, temperatures in low elevations are forecast to drop into the upper 70s and 80s, while mountain areas will see highs in the upper 60s and 70s. Further updates on the potential for showers and thunderstorms will be provided as the monsoonal moisture approaches.