9-23-12 Ecology Daily forecast with Monitors

Air Quality forecast, 8AM Sunday 23 September 2012
Issued by Ranil Dhammapala, Washington State Dept. of Ecology

Wenatchee, Pateros and Cashmere saw a bit of clearing but air quality still remains Hazardous. Entiat, Quincy, Leavenworth, Chelan, Yakima, White Swan and Toppenish all experienced some clearing but still not enough to return to healthy air. Pullman and Clarkston also saw some much needed clearing in the evening, after an initial rise in pollution levels earlier in the day as the inversion broke and mixed some overhanging Idaho wildfire smoke to the surface. The threat of Idaho wildfire smoke has passed thanks to a wind shift. Ellensburg and Cle Elum saw Good air yesterday, and should stay that way today.
Omak and Twisp saw some increase in pollution levels as a weather system pushed a little smoke up those valleys, but should see a little improvement today.
There are no reports of new fire starts from lightning strikes as yet, but a small threat of lightning remains until tonight. Isolated light rainfall is forecast for several parts of the eastern Columbia Basin today as a low pressure system passes through the far eastern parts of the state, but not near the wildfires. While areas nearest to the wildfires will continue to see poor air, West/ Southwest winds will help with smoke dispersion. Eastern WA will continue to see some gradual improvement in air quality, though periodic impacts from drifting smoke are expected.
Some cooler temperatures and a little bit of rain (the latter mostly in the Northern counties of eastern WA) are forecast during the work week. This will further improve air quality.
No air quality issues are expected in Western WA over the coming days.
The National Weather Service issued an Air Quality Alert for much of eastern Washington through Monday evening:
http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=otx&wwa=air%20quality%20alert
The Governor has issued an emergency proclamation for all of eastern Washington:
http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1967&newsType=1

Washington Air Quality Advisory (WAQA) Chart:

https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/App_AQI/AQI.en-US.pdf

Ecology Air Quality Monitoring Network Map: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/Default.ltr.aspx

  -note, click on the dots and you can then click on View more information to find out the latest hourly values even if the dot is grey

 

 

              

Central Region, Ecology Air Quality Report                  Chelan County monitor locations: Wenatchee- “Hazardous” Leavenworth- “Moderate” Chelan- “Unhealthy”                Okanogan County monitor locations: Omak - “Unhealthy” Winthrop – “Unhealthy” Twisp-  “Unhealthy”                  Kittitas County monitor location: Ellensburg- “Moderate” Yakima County monitor location: Yakima- “Good” White Swan- “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” Toppenish- “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”                Klickitat County monitor location: Goldendale- “Good”   Eastern Region, Ecology Air Quality Report   Blue Mountain Area Clarkston  -  “ Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” Dayton  -   “Good” Walla Walla  -  “Good” Palouse Pullman  - “Good” Rosalia  - “Moderate” LaCrosse  -  “Good” Columbia Basin Kennewick  -  “Good” Mesa  - “Moderate” Moses Lake  - “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” Ritzville  -“Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”

USDA FOREST SERVICE Air Quality Report            Chelan County monitor location: Wenatchee- (Confluence Park)- “Unhealthy” Cashmere- “Hazardous” Entiat- “Unhealthy” Okanogan County* (new) Pateros- “Hazardous”            Grant County monitor location: Quincy-  “Unhealthy”             Kittitas County monitor location: Cle Elum- “Good” Klickitat County*(new) Trout Lake- “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”           Eastern cont., Ecology Air Quality Report                            Spokane Area Spokane “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” Liberty Lake- “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups   Northeast Colville  -  “Moderate” Wellpinit  -  “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”

Another very useful webpage for grab hourly and 24 hour data, Puget Sound Clean Air and their air quality tool: http://airgraphing.pscleanair.org/

Remember the Eastern Washington Burn Ban remains effective through Monday, September, 24, 2012.http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1967&newsType=1
Information Clearing House for Wildfire Information Updates: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/