The Antelope Fire, southeast of Tower Fall in Yellowstone National Park, likely left an indelible imprint in local minds when the fire's smoke was visible to the west from Powell Tuesday evening.And, the potential exists for more smoke from the 4,370-acre fire to visit the Big Horn Basin.

Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, smoke drifted into the Cody area. By 6 p.m., the smoke was due north of Cody, said meteorologist Chuck Baker of the National Weather Service office in Riverton.

“That's where your smoke came from,” Baker said.

Satellite infrared images confirmed the fire burned hot until 8:30 or 9 p.m., Baker said.

Temperatures were expected to be possibly 15 degrees cooler Wednesday in Yellowstone, Baker said that morning, but any smoke could be again transported to the Basin if the fire burns as intensely as it did Tuesday, Baker said.

Across much of the state, temperatures are 15 to 16 degrees warmer than normal, Baker said.

Worland set a record 91 degrees Tuesday. Worland's previous record was 90 degrees on that date, Baker said.

“Conditions have been pretty dry the last two months,” Baker said.

Some precipitation is predicted in Yellowstone around Oct. 4 or 5, but nothing significant. More precipitation is anticipated around Oct. 9 or 10, Baker said.

Antelope's warming trend

“Unseasonably hot and dry conditions Tuesday resulted in significantly increased activity on the Antelope Fire,” said a National Park Service news release Wednesday. “The fire spread from the southeast corner across the Yellowstone River, into an area of mature forest which is between the 1988 North Fork Fire and the 2002 Broad Fire. It produced a large column of smoke late Tuesday which was visible for several miles in all directions.”

That morning, Wednesday's forecast in Yellowstone called for sunny skies with highs in the upper 70s.

Warm temperatures and a large fire are atypical this time of year, said Al Nash, Yellowstone Park spokesman.

The high at Tower was 83 degrees Tuesday.

A type 2 helicopter capable of dropping water or fire retardant and additional resources are being called in to augment the type 3 helo — also capable of dropping liquid — five fire engines and 30 firefighters that are currently on the fire, said the release.

The fire poses no threat to park visitors or residents. No roads or facilities are closed due to the fire. However, Specimen Ridge and Agate Creek trails, both accessed from Specimen trailhead, north of Tower, and campsite 2Y1, off the Agate Creek trail, are temporarily closed, said the release.

To be prudent, the service is looking at structure protections at Canyon Village, Tower Fall and the Buffalo Ranch in Lamar Valley, but there are no immediate concerns for those facilities' security, Nash said.

The lightning-caused fire was reported Sept. 14. It is 45 percent contained, said the release.