Overhead smoke took the edge off the heat yesterday and will do so again this weekend.
"Aw c'mon Ranil, that's of little consolation! When will the smoke clear?"
Today and tomorrow. But...
Eastern WA
Strong west winds will help reduce the smoke this evening through Sunday, but also raise the risk of new fires. So while most areas will see some improvement, not too many communities will see Good air for long. Existing fires are projected to keep puffing out smoke. Conditions are expected to worsen mid-week as another ridge builds. Please see the 5-day forecast map above.
Western WA
Ground level smoke will continue to clear today, although elevated smoke from CA fires will flex its muscle as it sails (mostly) overhead, giving us pretty sunsets. Expect a smoke-free western WA for a few days at least. Got to keep an eye on possible east winds mid-week, which can transport smoke from across the Cascades.
Here's a comparison of fine particle pollution (aka PM2.5) levels across the state so far this season. Who had it best/ worst? You decide.
any idea why purpleair.com seems to consistently report worse AQI than airnow.gov during smoke events?
ReplyDeletePurple Air monitors overestimate PM2.5 levels. You can correct it by selecting the 'LRAPA' conversion. Also consider selecting 'Washington's Air Quality Advisory' to get a more sensitive health index.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great work with this blog. Really appreciate all that you do!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this update, I hope there'll be another Central/E WA update soon as smoke seems to be rolling back in in Ellensburg :(
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