Washington Smoke Map

Friday, May 31, 2019

Statewide forecast — May 31: Wildfire smoke is back and so are we. Expect light smoke over eastern WA this weekend

It would have been great if we could have wished our readers a "not so bad" 2019 wildfire smoke season. But smoke from Alberta has forced us back to business by the end of May. Fortunately, the levels in eastern WA are not that severe and are expected to be no worse that Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups this weekend. Most areas will record Good or Moderate air.

This pair of satellite images from yesterday and this AM show smoke from northern Alberta fires flowing down the Okanogan and Columbia River valleys into eastern WA.




Smoke is mixing down to the surface, and the fine particle pollution monitors have recorded a slight increase since this AM. Here's a 3-day timeseries of a few monitors in eastern WA.


Eastern WA weekend forecast

Models suggest some Alberta smoke will slosh around this weekend, initially receding from the Cascade foothills and Columbia Basin, being confined to the far eastern part of the state (including Spokane) before rebounding Sunday & Monday. Again, not expecting a lot of smoke. But the cat among the pigeons is the risk of lightning in the Cascades and NE Washington and the new fires this might spark off between now and Saturday evening. Spotty downpours are expected but their pollution- cleansing and fire- dousing potential may not be harnessed entirely if they're not in the right place at the right time.

Western WA weekend forecast

Little or no wildfire smoke is expected to reach the surface in western WA, but some light smoke aloft could make sunsets prettier. Smoke from local fires cannot be ruled out. See the section titled "Prescribed Burns" in the "Fire Information" tab above.

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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 31, 2019 at 1:27 PM

    Welcome back. Good to see you. Wish the smoke wasn't coming so early before summer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 1, 2019 at 10:22 AM

    In Issaquah on Saturday morning there is smoky looking air making visibility none or low over a mile. It seems much worse that the western Washington prediction for today.

    ReplyDelete
  3. GoodratJune 1, 2019 at 12:07 PM

    Ii noticed the same thing in Snohomish and Monroe yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wendy HarrisJune 3, 2019 at 10:44 AM

    I do not understand why you are telling us this when it is not an issue for the counties under your jurisdiction. It creates confusion because of high ozone readings, and what clearly must be large permitted burns. It stinks by me. And let us not forget refinery flare ups. Maybe you can address the real issues for your counties. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ranil Dhammapala- WA EcologyJune 3, 2019 at 11:14 AM

      This blog deals with statewide smoke issues and wildfire smoke was definitely a concern for areas with Ecology's and other local air agencies' jurisdiction last Friday - Saturday. Ozone & refinery emissions (SO2) were not a concern during this event and air quality measurements dont indicate otherwise.

      Our goal is to provide timely information to everyone in Washington so they can take action to protect themselves and their families from the effects of particulate pollution. You can check DNR's daily prescribed burn approvals statewide at https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/protection/burnrequests/.

      Delete

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