A Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warning is in effect Saturday afternoon and evening across much of Central and Eastern Washington. NWS is highlighting extremely critical fire weather conditions that could lead to rapidly changing fire and smoke behavior throughout the weekend.
This weekend
Extreme conditions tomorrow with the passage of a dry cold front will lead to significant smoke production from ongoing and emerging wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. While there may be a brief air quality improvement tomorrow from a strong push of southwest winds, areas closest to active fires will continue to see significant smoke impacts. By Saturday evening, shifting winds behind the cold front to west and northwest will drive smoke southward into the Columbia Basin and Spokane.
Smoke will persist on Sunday. The greatest impacts will continue to be downwind from active wildfires and in valley communities (including Methow, Chelan, and Entiat). Another burst of winds from the north on Sunday evening will again push smoke south across the Columbia Basin.
Southeast and South Central Washington will remain susceptible to smoke from fires in Oregon as well as smoke drifting south from fires in northern Washington and British Columbia.
Air Quality Alerts have been updated to include the following counties and will be reassessed on Monday morning: Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Walla Walla.
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| Current Air Quality Alerts in effect in Washington State through at least the weekend. |
Looking ahead across the state
Forecasted lighter winds next week may unfortunately allow smoke to linger and spread more broadly across Central and Eastern WA. It is also very likely that light offshore flow will allow smoke to drain into Western WA early next week, with potential for the most significant smoke impacts in Whatcom and Skagit Counties as well as mountain valley towns in King and Snohomish Counties. Expect the next blog update Monday as conditions evolve.
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| Chinook helicopter assisting suppression operations on the Modrite Fire in Northeast WA. Source: Inciweb. |
What is the update for today?
ReplyDeleteThe state is currently covered in smoke. Air Quality Alerts will be issued this morning for most locations. There are multiple local outlooks available and a 5-day forecast on the map.
DeleteForecast seems overly positive for peninsula apart from wednesday can I ask why it shows green when all forecasts seem to state we're in for heavy smoke? (Sequim, Brinnon, Hood canal) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAn updated blogpost will address air quality concerns in Western WA in the next hour or so. Conditions changed over the weekend and new forecasts are currently being issued.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteIn addition, the forecast reflects 24 hour AQI conditions over a forecast zone, so while the forecast shows moderate air quality local conditions hour to hour conditions might be worse or better than what is shown on the map. Air quality in Western WA will begin to degrade later this afternoon and we'll continue to update forecasts as conditions change.
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