May 28, 2026

An upper low will weaken as it moves from Utah into Wyoming today and through the weekend. Given weak winds aloft, the Storm Prediction Center rates the severe potential as relatively low, but isolated strong storms may occur over parts of the northern Plains — including the Dakotas and eastern Montana — through Saturday.

The Weather Prediction Center's Day 2 outlook includes a marginal risk of excessive rainfall across portions of the northern Rockies for Friday. This is a pattern to watch: the upper low will persist through the weekend before moving into Canada by early next week.

Colorado and Utah are drier today, with above-average temperatures and mostly sunny skies. Wildfire conditions are building across the Mountain region as snowpack melts and fuels dry out.

Montana has two active major disaster declarations from earlier this year: one for severe storms and flooding (DR-4901-MT, incident period December 2025) and one for a severe winter storm and straight-line winds (DR-4902-MT, incident period December 2025). Both were declared on April 7, 2026. If you're in an affected area and haven't applied for assistance, visit disasterassistance.gov.

South Dakota also has an active major disaster declaration for straight-line winds (DR-4903-SD, incident period December 2025), declared April 7, 2026.

The NIFC reports an active fire near Helena, Montana — the Jericho Creek fire on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, approximately 15 miles southwest of Helena, burning in timber. The Great Basin Coordination Center (GBCC) reports 4 active incidents across approximately 10,000 acres.

As wildfire season builds across the Mountain region, the NIFC seasonal outlook projects increasing fire risk through the summer, particularly as the upper-level pattern shifts. Households in the wildland-urban interface should begin their annual defensible-space work now — clear brush and debris within 30 feet of structures.

No active public health advisories specific to the Mountain region. Air quality is within normal ranges, though localized smoke from the Jericho Creek fire may affect areas near Helena, Montana.

At the national level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has two active Health Advisory notices. The first, issued May 19, concerns an Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda caused by the Bundibugyo virus. The World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. The risk of spread to U.S. households is considered low. The second, updated May 18, monitors an Andes virus (hantavirus) cluster linked to a cruise ship in the Atlantic. No confirmed U.S. cases have been reported, and the domestic risk remains extremely low. Neither advisory requires household action beyond general awareness.

The weekend weather pattern — with an upper low drifting from Utah through Wyoming and eventually into Montana and Canada — will keep the northern portion of the region unsettled through early next week. No high-end severe weather is expected, but isolated strong storms and locally heavy rainfall remain possible across the northern Plains.

Wildfire season is ramping up. Year-to-date fire acreage nationally is running above the 10-year average, and the Mountain region historically sees its most active period from July through September. The transition from spring snow to summer heat is the window when preparedness matters most for households near forests and grasslands.

Montana residents in areas covered by the December 2025 disaster declarations should be aware that recovery assistance remains available. Federal assistance programs have specific filing deadlines — check disasterassistance.gov for your area's deadlines if you haven't already applied.