Rain in parts of north-central Washington over the weekend limited fire growth and aided firefighters, but those clouds also kept smoke from the fires near to the ground, leading to very unhealthy and even hazardous air quality readings in many places Monday morning.
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| Aug. 2 smoke forecast |
Temperatures across much of eastern Washington are headed toward triple digits once again. That will raise the fire danger, but it should also return us to the pattern we’ve seen in recent weeks where smoke settles near the ground overnight, then mixes up into the atmosphere as the heat of the day kicks in.
That daytime dilution won’t be enough to put a permanent dent in the smoke, unfortunately. The Washington Department of Ecology issued an Air Quality Alert for all of Washington east of the Cascade crest through noon Thursday.
What happens at noon Thursday, you ask? A stronger weather system is on the way, bringing rain to many parts of the state and enough wind to really push out the smoke. That new system won’t fully arrive until Friday, but we’ll see the benefits beginning Thursday afternoon.
Don’t expect too much from this front, though. Although much of eastern Washington will see cleaner air by the weekend, areas near the big fires in Okanogan County will continue to experience localized smoke impacts anywhere from the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to the “very unhealthy” range.
Local fire forecasts
Just a reminder that you’ll find regional and statewide forecasts here on the Washington Smoke Blog home page. Smoke forecasts for specific fires where Air Resource Advisors have been assigned are just a click away, under the “Local Smoke Outlooks” tab.
It's always encouraging to hear when we can hope for cleaner air (central WA here), thank you all for your hard work!
ReplyDeleteCentral WA here as well - it's miserable. Should we expect more of this next week? Wenatchee specifically...
ReplyDeleteCant be sure about next week. An improvement late this week is on tap, but after that it depends on whether there are new fires etc.
DeleteDo you know if there is any chance Sultan, WA will be getting an air sensor this year? If not, is it something we can petition for and who would it be written to? Are sensor locations normally chosen by ecology team for an install or is it the state, town, or someone else that decides? Thanks for your help.
ReplyDeletePS: Sending love to our friends on the east side. I hope relief comes soon.
Hi, Sultan would be covered by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA), which covers Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Kitsap Counties (www.pscleanair.gov). Any questions about monitoring or requests for additional monitoring would be to PSCAA (eriks@pscleanair.gov). PSCAA doesn't have any current plans to add more official monitoring sites for this year, but PSCAA does have 1) a program that loans out small, portable, low cost sensors and 2) a map that displays our official monitoring data and data from more than 100 privately owned small sensors (http://map.pscleanair.org/). From the sensor map, you can see there currently are a few of the private sensors a few miles west of Sultan.
DeleteThank you for your work. We were supposed to be going to Levenworth on Saturday and Sunday but I was concerned about the smoke. It sounds like it may clear for the weekend..or do you think it will still be pretty hazy and smokey? Or unhealthy air quality? I know it's so hard to tell - just wondering in case I need to cancel my reservation. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, if there are no new fires (and that risk exists) then I think the weather systems between now and Friday will adequately flush the area of smoke.
DeleteThank you, Ranil! I’ll continue to monitor the situation. If we can get 75 and good air quality, I want to jump on it!
DeleteThank you, Ranil! The Washington ecology smoke predictor is citing “unhealthy” in Levenworth on Sat. I wasn’t sure what to think. If the weather comes thru, I’m hoping they change their prediction. Appreciate your response!
DeleteYes, I expect that forecast will be updated here soon
DeleteCan't thank this DOE crew enough for what you do. Your positive impact on not just the physical but the EMOTIONAL/MENTAL health of so many across the state (especially those of us in eastern wa ), can't be overstated. The blog's detailed information coupled with fabulous personalities and perfectly timed humor, is a lifeline during difficult times.
ReplyDeleteAgree 100%! We so appreciate you all!
DeleteSo agree-the blog is a life line and I so appreciate everything you do!
DeleteHi! I was planning on hiking Cascade Pass or Hidden Lake on Friday. Do you think this is a possibility given the forecast?
ReplyDeleteRain may be your bigger concern - light west winds will likely keep the smoke further east. There's a chance of thunderstorms coming Sunday.
DeleteWas Planning family day trip from Burlington on highway 20 to Ross, Diablo Lake, Washington, Rainy Pass & then turning back to Burlington. Was looking fir scenic ride, nice lookouts, not hiking. Is this safe with nearby fires? Will smoke ruin trip?
ReplyDeleteHi, presumably you mean this weekend. I think you should be good, since westerly winds will keep any Methow area smoke to your east. Clouds and light rain might be the culprits obscuring visibility. Enjoy your trip!
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