More wildfire smoke, poor air quality for Boise. As summer lingers, when will it clear?

Just as the scorching summer started to wind down, the Boise area has again seen higher temperatures than usual, as well as skies full of wildfire smoke. A coming cold front is expected to bring temperatures down to normal and potentially move out some of the smoke that has again settled in the Treasure Valley.

Stephen Parker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Boise office, said temperatures reached the mid-90s on Tuesday — about 10 degrees above normal for early September. Parker said forecasts show a cold front set to arrive in Boise on Friday, bringing temperatures into the low 80s through early next week.

The cold front should help move wildfire smoke out of the Treasure Valley, where air quality has been poor for several days, a result of fires from around the region. Air quality rose into the orange category, or “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” on Monday and worsened to the red, or “unhealthy,” by Tuesday morning, prompting the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to issue burn restrictions.

The DEQ said in an email Tuesday that Wednesday should be another day in the orange category.

Parker said much of the smoke is coming from fires in Northern California and western Oregon, but Idaho blazes are contributing. The Boundary and Scarface fires, both burning northwest of Stanley, have sent some smoke into the area.

Friday’s weather also could bring much-needed precipitation to drought-stricken Idaho, Parker said. There’s a slight chance of rain Thursday, but most of the precipitation is forecast for Friday, when Boise could see rain and storms.