Intermittent smoke from Washington fires expected

Smoke from Oregon has finally stepped aside and now we are only left with our own smoke to deal with.  There has been a lot of clearing, though, with the breezy conditions, which is nice to see.  Winds are pushing smoke southeast but the plumes have been meandering back and forth a bit, impacting communities intermittently.  This will continue through the weekend.  

Smoke from the Diamond Creek fire has been creating Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality from Omak all the way to Spokane. Smoke will continue to affect air quality in the upper Methow Valley, but the Spokane area should get better tonight.  Though, some light smoke may meander its way back again tomorrow afternoon.

The Norse Peak fire and Jolly Mountain fire will continue to impact communities around Yakima and Ellensburg, and even the Tri-Cities intermittently.  Unfortunately Ellensburg area is caught in the middle of those two fires and will continue to see patchy smoke through the weekend.

The Uno Peak fire around Safety Harbor is small but producing a visible plume.  Fire crews are working to to put it out, but there is potential for fire activity to grow over the weekend.  Expect some light to moderate smoke to drain down in the Lake Chelan area during the cool part of the night.

All in all, the Labor Day weekend will be hot and dry and if you are downwind of a local wildfire, expect to see light to moderate smoke from time to time.