Smoke / Air Quality Forecast for Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Smoke Synopsis:

A bit cooler and breezy today in most locations.  Some gusty west to northwest winds 20-30 mph are possible late afternoon in and downstream of aligned canyons.  Some showers and thunderstorms are possible in the northern portion of central Washington. We appear to have made it through the warmer, dry period this last weekend without generating any significant new fires and the firefighters were ready for Tuesday’s winds, so I would say we’re “out of the woods” – referring to smoke, not Washington’s trees.  This is reflected in the green forecast presented below.

Air Quality Outlook:
Site	Wednesday August 20, 2014		Thursday August 21, 2014		Friday August 22, 2014		Comments
Colville	Good		Good		Good
Wellpinit	Good		Good		Good
Keller	Good		Good		Good
Omak	Good		Good		Good
Malott	Good		Good		Good
Brewster	Good		Good		Good
Winthrop	Good		Good		Good
Twisp	Good		Good		Good
Chelan	Good		Good		Good
Entiat	Good		Good		Good
Plain	Good		Good		Good
Leavenworth	Good		Good		Good
Wenatchee	Good		Good		Good
Ellensburg	Good		Good		Good
Yakima	Good		Good		Good
NOTE – in table above “USG” stands for “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” For detailed information about the color coded air quality categories, please see:  Washington Air Quality Advisory for Smoke and Other Fine Particle Air Pollution En Español:  El Índice de la Calidad de Aire de Washington para Humo y Otra Contaminación del Aire causadas por Partículas Finas
Warning: These data have been obtained from automated instruments and have not been subjected to a quality assurance review to determine their accuracy. They are presented for public awareness and should not be considered final. Conditions such as power outages and equipment malfunctions can produce invalid data.
1 Since wildfires often occur in remote areas, air monitoring equipment may not be available. The following table provides a quick method to assess air quality in your area. For more detailed information you can go to the following site: http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/burning/wildfires/visibility.htm
Using the 5-3-1 Visibility Index
Distance you can see*		Your are:						You have:
		·  An adult ·  A teenager ·  An older child		·  Age 65 and over ·  Pregnant ·  A young child		OR		·  Asthma ·  Respiratory illness ·  Lung or heart disease
5 miles		check visibility		minimize outdoor activity
3 miles		minimize outdoor activity		stay inside
1 miles		stay inside		stay inside
No matter how far you can see, if you feel like you are having health effects from smoke exposure, take extra care to stay inside or get to an area with better air quality.  You should also see your doctor or other health professional as needed.
* less reliable under high humidity conditions