Scorching weekend won't be smoke and smog free; plus a new tool expands smoke monitoring

As temperatures approach triple digits in western WA on Sunday and exceed that in eastern WA through Tuesday, we're also looking at some smoke impacts in places. And possibly some ozone in two known hotspots. 

Local fires

The Mosier fire in Wasco County, Oregon is currently sending light smoke into south central WA and causing some Moderate air. As surface winds turn offshore tomorrow, assuming the fire continues to puff, we could see some smoke drift along the gorge toward Portland/ Vancouver and cause air to degrade to Moderate. The current smoke forecast model is a bit pessimistic for Saturday. No reason to suspect that most of eastern WA will see Moderate air tomorrow. It should be mostly restricted to the gorge and the south central Cascades. Other fires in north central WA could cause occasional Moderate conditions elsewhere. 

Here's the most likely smoke forecast for the whole weekend.

More distant fires

Upper level flow turns south by Sunday and models are suggesting some smoke from norther California fires could be transported over western WA by then. Not expecting much of it to mix down to the lowlands, but those views of Mt Rainier might not be that clear, and sunsets might be a bit more resplendent. 

Siberian smoke hanging around the Gulf of Alaska is mostly expected to get shunted to our north. Not much of it is mixing down to the surface anyway. 

Ozone

Cascade foothills in eastern King and Pierce counties, and also the Tri Cities could see ozone levels (loosely called "smog") creeping up over the weekend. More info on ozone pollution here.

And finally, here's an exciting new data tool 

EPA has partnered with the US Forest service to make available data collected nationwide (mostly by citizen scientists) using PurpleAir sensors. These sensors are known as "low cost sensors" for a reason, and they are not able to match the data quality and accuracy of permanent sensors. So while they often help fill data voids, there are a lot of caveats with their use. 

EPA & USFS worked with states around the country to develop conversion factors to transform PurpleAir data to better match up against permanent monitors in near-real-time. Corrected data are now available alongside the rest of the fine particle pollution (PM_2.5) data. PurpleAir monitors are shown as squares. Here's a snapshot of the short explanation on the page. 

Staying Safe in Extreme Heat and Poor Air Quality: Conversation with Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer, Dr. Bob Lutz

Need your questions answered by Dr. Lutz? Visit SRHD's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/spokanehealth/

Spokane Prepping for Poor Air Quality

Written by,

Dr. Bob Lutz, Health Officer, Spokane Regional Health District

With Spokane’s history in recent summers of poor air quality due to regional wildfires, it is no longer an issue of “if” air quality will be a concern in the summer, but “when.”

Spokane Regional Health District is grateful to its partners like Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), weather and fire officials, and so many more who join us in urging residents, when air quality is unhealthy, to take specific precautions to protect their health, like staying indoors. This year, however, we want our community to get ahead of the curve in preparing. There are several things people can be doing now to protect themselves and others before the smoke rolls in.

First, it helps to understand what wildfire smoke is and why it can be harmful. It is a mix of gases and fine particles that can make anyone sick. Breathing in smoke can have immediate health effects, including coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, stinging eyes, increased heartrate, headaches and tiredness. Certain populations are at risk for acute respiratory problems from wildfire smoke, such as those with asthma and chronic bronchitis. These individuals should have a plan in place with their medical provider to manage their respiratory and/or heart health. Children are also at increased risk due to their developing respiratory systems and breathing rates, especially when playing.

Based on air quality and health status, choose your summer activities wisely. Pay attention to local air quality reports. Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency offers a current, regional air quality index at spokanecleanair.org/current-air-quality. While you’re there, sign up for air quality alerts via email or text. The values are updated hourly and put more weight on the most recent air pollution reading.

When air quality enters the ‘Moderate’, or yellow range, if you have asthma, diabetes, lung or heart disease; have had a stroke; or are currently experiencing a respiratory infection, consider limiting your outdoor activities or choose those of lesser effort. This should definitely be your plan if we move into the orange range, or ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’.

For healthy individuals, the ‘Unhealthy’, or red range, is your signal to limit outdoor activities. In these conditions, everyone should avoid exercising outdoors and at-risk groups should stay indoors. Once we enter the purple and maroon ranges, everyone should stay indoors. You should close your windows and, if available, run the air conditioner on re-circulate. Wait until air quality is better before you go back outside.

For people who have to work outside, drink lots of water and check with your employer about taking more frequent breaks. According to L&I, employers are not required to provide masks and for good reason. As far as masks are concerned, paper "comfort" or "dust" masks are not the answer, and this applies to all individuals, not just outdoor workers. These masks are only designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust, meaning they do not protect lungs from the fine particles in smoke.

Respirator masks labeled N95 or N100 provide some protection, if, and I do emphasize if, they are fitted properly—a challenge when it comes to facial hair. These masks filter out some fine particles, but not the hazardous gases in smoke such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and acrolein. Respirator masks are also not intended for kids or long-term exposure. Our guidance is always to reduce exposure by staying indoors. More tips for a safe wildfire season can be found on our site at www.srhd.org

Dr. Bob Lutz

Dr. Lutz is a board-certified family medicine physician who is currently the health officer for Spokane County.


About Spokane Regional Health District

As a leader and partner in public health, Spokane Regional Health District protects, improves and promotes the health and well-being of people through evidence-based practices. The agency is one of 34 local public health agencies serving Washington state's 39 counties. It has approximately 250 employees and serves a population of more than 500,000 in Spokane County. For more information visit www.srhd.org. The health district’s website offers comprehensive, updated information about Spokane Regional Health District and its triumphs in making Spokane a safer and healthier community. Become a fan of SRHD on Facebook to receive local safety and wellness tips. You can also follow the agency on Twitter @spokanehealth.