Western Washington
The Vancouver Island fires continue to generate smoke that is causing Moderate to Unhealthy smoky conditions at times around the west and north coastal areas of the Olympic Peninsula. Port Angeles looks to be getting the worst of it. Other parts of Western Washington have also been getting intermittent smoke, which is Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties are likely experiencing a mix of light to moderate smoke from the Maple Fire and the Vancouver Island fires. Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties may also be seeing some of that as well. Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties are likely seeing some of the fringes of the BC wildfire smoke plumes.
This intermittent smoke we are experiencing should be expected through the weekend. Southwestern counties will likely continue to see the best air quality in the region.
Central & Eastern Washington
There is a large plume of smoke (see below) from BC and Central Washington wildfires over a large portion of Central and Northeastern Washington that is mostly aloft, but the models are showing that air quality is expected to get worse Friday afternoon in Chelan, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Douglas, Grant, and Lincoln counties. It's unclear how much of that smoke will mix down to the surface. The forecast does have most of that clearing out by Saturday morning for Spokane, Lincoln, and Grant counties. However, Chelan, Douglas and all the Northern counties are set to remain under an air quality alert through the weekend, with Unhealthy air expected. Yakima county has a couple fires of its own (Miriam and Meninick Pass) which are causing Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality that is expected to continue through the weekend and may even have minor effects on downwind counties.
There are still a considerable number of fires in the eastern slopes of the Cascades and the Colville National Forest which will send smoke to various parts of Central and Eastern Washington throughout the weekend. The southeastern counties should continue to see the best air quality in the region.
GOES-East True Color Image - Friday (11:15 am)
What is the forecast in the Snoqualmie pass area?
ReplyDeleteExpected to be similar to Cle Elum, which is mentioned in the blog post below
DeleteWhat is the smoke forecast for Kennewick, was?
ReplyDelete"The southeastern counties should continue to see the best air quality in the region."
DeleteThis includes Kennewick. Good to Moderate
Is there a link for smoke/air quality meters?
ReplyDeleteAre you asking for meters to purchase or to see current conditions that are already monitored?
DeleteI am trying to determine:
ReplyDelete1) what the ceiling is for the Smoke on the Olympic Peninsula today (and over the weekend if it is even possible)
2) is the ceiling roughly the same everywhere throughout the state?
3)where would you go, leaving from Seattle, for a 2 or 3 hr drive from Seattle? I have to be able to drive there in a muscle car ;)))
1. No direct measures of that but you can estimate it using satellite images- see the approx location & height where peaks start to show about clouds.
Delete2. No. Highly variable
3. Drive southbound on I5. Vancouver (WA), Portland, Long Beach or Astoria are looking OK
Any idea why there's such a hole in Seattle sensor coverage north of the Ship Canal? There's a bunch in of sensors south Seattle but then nothing until Kenmore. I'm kind of surprised the UW or Children's doesn't have something. Since these levels seem to vary quite a bit based on geography/microclimate, that seems to be a pretty large chunk of population (and land) that isn't being evaluated.
ReplyDeleteTypically air quality monitors are sited in such a way to represent the average conditions in the region. They are also very expensive and time consuming to maintain. Many cities only have one monitor, and some don't have any at all. The Seattle area has the most air quality monitor coverage in the state and it is quite good. All the monitors in Seattle are currently recording 30-40 micrograms per cubic meter which is not much variance at all.
DeleteThanks for the response. That makes some sense, though it doesn't explain why there are so many clustered around the south and central Seattle if it isn't necessary to broadly cover the area. At any rate, I do appreciate the reply and this resource!
DeleteThere are also several other factors. For instance, the density of anthropogenic emissions sources such as industrial facilities and traffic density is important (e.g. what are the expected problem spots). The monitoring network is mostly designed to monitor anthropogenic emissions or places with known air quality problems, not just locations where people live. These monitors are normally used to prove that we are in compliance with national air quality standards and that we are properly controlling anthropogenic sources (wildfire smoke is not a controllable source). There's also other factors such as if a building owner is willing to allow a permanent monitor on their building and provide free power or if the site can be accessed easily for maintenance as needed.
DeleteAgreed, we need more localized resources. This year, I was happy to find purpleair.com - crowd-sourced AQI that at least has a few minutes north of the ship canal. We need more of us to install these monitors, so people, with bad asthma/sensitivities like me, can know when there's moments of better AQI to venture outside for necessary family errands.
DeleteLow cost portable sensors like Purple Air are useful for air quality mapping by citizen scientists and providing actionable info to affected individuals, as long as an important caveat is acknowledged and accounted for: these sensors are known to over-estimate PM2.5 levels by 50-100% depending on where they are located. So it could be painting a far bleaker picture than reality.
DeleteAll good info.
DeleteIf this is our new summer reality (and I hope it isn't, but...) and our air-quality driven, public-health emergencies are no longer exclusively or regularly tied to industrial emissions/traffic, it seems that it would be appropriate for Ecology to consider adding stations and/or evaluating locations to make sure we have the best reporting on non-anthropogenic sources like wildfire smoke, regardless of national air-quality or standards or controllability, but as a part of a public health notification system.
Anyway, just some feedback to pass along. I do appreciate all you folks do with the resources you have.
Ranil, as always, THANKS SO MUCH for all your advice and forecasting - you have helped keep me healthy during the last month! That's a big deal if you knew that the last time I evacuated during unhealthy wildfire smoke exposures in Idaho a few years ago, I ended up on bed rest & intense asthma medical treatment for a month afterwards...
DeleteFollow up question on your Purple Air insights, as I would like to install my own monitor to add to crowd-sourcing resources. I haven't been able to find any info online to explain your over-estimation comment on 8/26 above. Could you please tell me if there's a better crowd-source option that I could contribute to? Also, why are the Purple Air readings so inaccuarate? THANKS! Glad UW has installed an extra monitor that is now showing up on the map you have posted at the top of the blog page. However, it's listed as "temporary" - is there a way for the public to request that it be made permanent? We DO need an in-city monitor north of the Ship Canal!
Happy to help, that's what we're here for.
DeletePurple air (and other low-cost portable sensors): there is a lab in SoCal that has been commissioned by EPA to evaluate the performance of low cost sensors. A summary of the performance of the sensors can be found at http://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations/summary. The Purple Air II performance (http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/aq-spec/summary/purpleair-pa-ii---summary-report.pdf?sfvrsn=4) shows a consistent over prediction on the order I mentioned earlier. The systematic and reproducible nature of this over-estimate allows for an on-the-fly correction (harder to do if the comparison were more random). Our field staff who have experimented with several sensors confirm that this is the most precise of the instruments. Once you back out the over-estimation factor, you can get a good idea of the PM2.5 mass concentration.
Cant speak for others' monitors and their operational lifetimes. Since you are located within the jurisdiction of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, you could give them a call and ask for consideration of your request. See http://www.pscleanair.org/ for contact details.
I am going to George, WA for concerts next weekend. I have asthma and i am camping put for three days. I am very concerned. It is my favorite trip of the year (I am from Florida). I am hoping it will be clear and beautiful as always. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteIt's too early to say what the winds will be doing next weekend. However, at the very least you should expect intermittent smoke with Moderate to Unhealthy conditions since there are several fires in the Cascades and westerly flow will push smoke in that direction.
DeleteI live in the west side of Olympia off 101 and wonder if you know why our smoke "smell" earlier in the week when air quality was awful (Very Unhealthy) is different from the smoke "smell" that rolled back in last night around 6 p.m. (even though the local air monitors said "Good?" The smell is quite a bit different and wonder if we're picking up smoke from the tire fire that occurred a couple days ago and closed Highway 3 in Shelton. I ask only because it smells quite a bit more like a plastic smell. Not a good smell at all. Have had to seal up the house completely so it's not coming in and my children are breathing it. We're about 17-18 miles southeast of the Shelton fire. Thanks for any help you can provide, and thanks for the work you do to maintain this very important resource for state residents.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this info on the tire fire in Shelton. I don't know what impacts the tire fire has had or if it is still an issue. I suggest you contact the local fire department for information. The smell of smoke can be diverse depending on what is burning and as it ages it also can change significantly. Also keep in mind that when you check air quality monitors you may be looking at a reading that is an hour old. The Shelton monitor did show a spike last night that peaked at 5 pm. Keep in mind that the Maple Fire is also very close.
DeleteIn Lacey, there was a distinct difference in the smell at the same time as well. I wondered about the tire fire too, but not sure it could have affected us this far away from Shelton and in this direction.
DeleteI'm a car dweller and trying to escape the smoke this weekend. Where can I go within 3-4 hours, give or take, where the air will be cleanest?
ReplyDeleteCan't say without knowing your location. The cleanest air continues to be the southwest (Longview, Vancouver, South Bend, etc.) and southeast (Dayton, Pomeroy, Pullman, etc.) parts of the state.
DeleteDo you know if the carbon. Monoxide level is high in the smoke.. I read that air filters are pretty much useless to remove it, as it is a gas.. Does it reduce the oxygen levels in the air( replace it)
ReplyDeleteCarbon Monoxide is present in wildfire smoke. For example, during the high smoke periods in Seattle we have been getting carbon monoxide readings of 1 to 1.5 ppm. For reference, the EPA air quality standard is 8 ppm for an 8-hour average and 35 ppm for an hourly average. The amount of oxygen in the air does not really change appreciably just in the presence of smoke, since oxygen is 210,000 ppm. The inhalation of particulate matter and toxic gases are the main concern.
DeleteIs ocean shores and the coastal region getting that smoke?
ReplyDeleteYes. Less of it further south, though
DeleteMy BF is a firefighter haven’t heard from him in days. Last known origin was Coulee Dam area is there still a fire burning there? Or has that crew moved? I just heard that there’s a fire burning West of Spokane is that true?
ReplyDeleteSorry we don't manage fire crews or fight fires, only track smoke.
DeleteMy ex-boyfriend is also firefighter. They work long shifts over several days but usually get at least 48 hours rest so he should be able to communicate at some point. There is often plenty of entertainment that moves into some of those remote areas during fires and the bigger towns and cities that have their own entertainment are often nearby. Firefighters are popular....it is no coincidence that he is my ex. Good luck.
DeleteWhat does the Deception Pass/Oak Harbor area look like for the weekend? Will it be suffering from Vancouver Island smoke?
ReplyDeleteVery likely some smoke. Intensity unknown at this time. Not much cleaner than USG
DeleteAre propane firepits allowed under the current burn bans? I can't find anything on them. While it's open flame...it's really no different than my gas grill...
ReplyDeleteAssuming you are in western Washington. Technically the burn ban was lifted yesterday. Though, given current conditions I would expect PSCAA would initiate a burn ban if it was normal working hours. All that being said, it is OK to use natural gas and propane grills, stoves, or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban. I believe any propane device would fall under that category. See www.waburnbans.net for more info.
DeleteCould the smoke make my right eye swell? I've had an allergic reaction 4 times since July 24th. I've left the area twice ( and swelling has gone down completely). When I wake the next morning after returning, the swelling is back. Could it be the smoke causing the swelling in my right eye? Why wouldn't it affect both?
ReplyDeleteHi Keya. Sorry to hear that this is affecting you so much.
DeleteThis is a medical question and not fair to ask these experts. Maybe a doctor will wander through.
Sounds like you already know the answer to this question. Yes it could affect one eye more than another. Maybe you had an injury to the eye earlier in your life? I am always susceptible to certain types of injuries on one side more than the other.
I have asthma and an allergy to cigarette smoke, and this has been affecting me more than most. My suggestion would be to build yourself a homemade HEPA air purifier and to buy some eyewash from your pharmacy/ discount store. The eyewash works surprisingly well. The parts for the homemade HEPA filters were sold out days ago here, but I bought them online.
Best of luck to you, and trust what your body is telling you.
Indeed, it sounds like you should check in with your medical provider. We hope you feel better soon.
DeleteAny better predictions about what this weekend will hold or do you still expect the smoke to come and go. In Bellevue it dropped to aqi of 105 this morning but I'm curious if I should expect it to drop or raise up as the day and weekend goes on.
ReplyDeleteHi Katie, unfortunately it will be an on-and-off scenario for much of the Seattle area this weekend. Some improvements are likely from this evening to Sunday evening before things start deteriorating again.
DeleteToday the conditions should stay about the same. Tomorrow is predicted for a little better air quality. Not sure what the rains will do tomorrow but hoping it will help abate some smoke and fire activity. Monday looks like Northerly winds could start to bring BC smoke back your way, but change in fire activity is uncertain so not sure how smoky it will actually be.
DeleteWhat is the forecast for the week for the Tri Cities?
ReplyDeleteCant forecast a whole week. Some smoke likely Mon- Tue but not expected to be horrific. Some clearing Wed & uncertain afterward
Delete