Smoke/Air Quality Outlook for Monday-Wednesday, August 18-20, 2014

Smoke Synopsis:

Warm and dry conditions continue today.  If we see any increase in fire activity, it will most likely be later this afternoon.  There is a chance that the increased winds associated with the cold frontal passage on Tuesday could fire up some smoldering spots, but fire crews continue to work hard to take care of known hot spots. The Keller smoke monitor was removed from service this morning and is being returned to the cache as smoke impacts continued to decrease. Valleys across north-central Washington are experiencing moderate air quality today due to generally poorer dispersion than we have been seeing.  This is expected to continue until the passage of the cold from on Tuesday afternoon or evening, which should clean out the entire basin – provided no new fires start, which is not anticipated by being watched closely.

Air Quality Outlook:
Site	Monday August 18, 201		Tuesday August 19, 2014		Wednesday August 20, 2014		Comments
Colville	Moderate		Moderate		Good
Wellpinit	Moderate		Moderate		Good
Keller	Moderate		Moderate		Moderate
Omak	Moderate		Moderate		Good
Malott	Good		Good		Good
Brewster	Good		Good		Good
Winthrop	Moderate		Moderate		Good
Twisp	Moderate		Moderate		Good
Chelan	Good		Good		Good
Entiat	Good		Good		Good
Plain	Good		Good		Good
Leavenworth	Good		Moderate		Good
Wenatchee	Good		Good		Good
Ellensburg	Moderate		Moderate		Good
Yakima	Good		Good		Good
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