Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Wildfires, smoke, and unhealthy air. How did we get here?
Many difficult questions come up when wildfire smoke fills the air such as: why are the forests burning? are there more fires/larger fires now than we used to see? is this "normal"? And finally can anything be done about it? Paul Hessburg, a Forest Service scientist from Wenatchee, has recorded a 15 minute TED talk that addresses these issues and shows examples of forest changes from our state. You can find it at this link if the topic is of interest:
Unhealthy air for all!
Yesterday turned out to be a bit more smoky in Western Washington than we anticipated. The smoky air, mostly from Canada, lingered throughout the evening and is still sticking around today. Western Washington residents should expect Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy air to persist through today and into tomorrow morning. Fortunately, forecast models are showing that Wednesday afternoon should see strong enough westerly winds to clear the smoke out and bring Good to Moderate air quality into the region. There may even be a little relief as early as tonight.
Central Washington residents are not quite so lucky. We have been monitoring Unhealthy to Hazardous air quality all across the region. Residents have been hit hard with the combination of Canadian smoke plus the fires on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. Winds shouldn't bring much more Canadian smoke into the region for the next couple days, but the current smoke will likely linger and local fires will continue to impact the region. We expect Very Unhealthy air to persist in many areas across Central Washington for the next couple days, with perhaps better conditions in the southern-most counties.
Eastern Washington has also been sitting in Unhealthy air which will likely persist. Forecast models do show somewhat of a split between Northeastern and Southeastern Washington on Wednesday evening. Residents in Spokane and other parts of Northeastern Washington will probably continue to experience Unhealthy air. However, the Southeastern counties could get a little better tomorrow night, with perhaps Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality.
So, while Western Washington may have lucked out this time with a relatively short-lived smoke event, the rest of the state will likely continue to see smoky conditions in the foreseeable future.
Please see the Smoke and Health tab of this blog for information about what you can do to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. For those interested in purchasing indoor air purifiers, see this good NY Times article from last year entitled What to Know Before Buying an Air Purifier to Clear Wildfire Smoke.
Central Washington residents are not quite so lucky. We have been monitoring Unhealthy to Hazardous air quality all across the region. Residents have been hit hard with the combination of Canadian smoke plus the fires on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. Winds shouldn't bring much more Canadian smoke into the region for the next couple days, but the current smoke will likely linger and local fires will continue to impact the region. We expect Very Unhealthy air to persist in many areas across Central Washington for the next couple days, with perhaps better conditions in the southern-most counties.
MODIS Satellite Image for 11 am PDT (Fire locations shown in red)
(Note the huge patch of smoke over BC)
Eastern Washington has also been sitting in Unhealthy air which will likely persist. Forecast models do show somewhat of a split between Northeastern and Southeastern Washington on Wednesday evening. Residents in Spokane and other parts of Northeastern Washington will probably continue to experience Unhealthy air. However, the Southeastern counties could get a little better tomorrow night, with perhaps Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality.
Washington's PM2.5 (smoke) conditions (11 am - noon PDT)
Please see Current Conditions Here
So, while Western Washington may have lucked out this time with a relatively short-lived smoke event, the rest of the state will likely continue to see smoky conditions in the foreseeable future.
Please see the Smoke and Health tab of this blog for information about what you can do to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. For those interested in purchasing indoor air purifiers, see this good NY Times article from last year entitled What to Know Before Buying an Air Purifier to Clear Wildfire Smoke.
Monday, August 13, 2018
8/13/2018 Smoky State overview
Smoke is moving south into the state from Canada plus some of the smoke from fires east of the Cascades has filtered over the mountains into the Puget Sound area. There are other fires in the state contributing to the mix, including the large Grass Valley fire near Grand Coulee Dam but the fires indicated are the ones contributing the most to poor air quality around the state. (Satellite photo from about 2pm this afternoon. Original, large image can be seen here: ModisAug13)
Where is all this smoke coming from?
A shift in winds over the weekend brought a thick haze from Canada that is covering most of our state. Fortunately, residents in Western Washington are still experiencing Good air quality, with the exception being places at higher elevations in the Cascades experiencing air quality that is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Some smoke might make its way from Canada into the Puget Sound lowlands later today and tomorrow, but westerly winds should return on Wednesday and clear out any lingering smoke.
Residents in the northern parts of Central and Eastern Washington are experiencing severe smoky conditions due to both local and regional wildfires that are currently burning. Monitors are showing Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy air quality from Wenatchee to Spokane, with no clearing expected in the near-term forecast. Light winds from the north are expected to continue throughout the day, which means residents in Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties could see conditions worsen to Moderate to Unhealthy. Southeastern Washington may not get too bad, but it won't be surprising if we see Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality in Walla Walla, Asotin, and other nearby counties.
MODIS Image from Sunday afternoon with fire locations shown in red.
Residents in the northern parts of Central and Eastern Washington are experiencing severe smoky conditions due to both local and regional wildfires that are currently burning. Monitors are showing Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy air quality from Wenatchee to Spokane, with no clearing expected in the near-term forecast. Light winds from the north are expected to continue throughout the day, which means residents in Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties could see conditions worsen to Moderate to Unhealthy. Southeastern Washington may not get too bad, but it won't be surprising if we see Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality in Walla Walla, Asotin, and other nearby counties.
PM2.5 Monitors on Monday Morning
The National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert for all of central and eastern Washington. This will be updated on Wednesday, and we hope southern counties will only be experiencing short-lived smoky conditions.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Friday, August 10, 2018
Weekend smoke update: yes it will get better, but there's a catch
Prefer a video chat of the forecast?
Ecology and DNR staff discuss the smoke forecast and health-protection steps you can take:
Prefer the forecast the same old way?
Satellite picture from this morning shows a lot of smoke overhead and fires in the Cascades puffing out a lot of smoke.
The clouds offshore are a harbinger of a cold front that will clear things out by tonight into Saturday. Most of western WA should see Good air this weekend, but there might be some lightning on Saturday so the potential exists for new fire starts.
Much of eastern Washington has been choking and frying all week but will see some improvement, both from smoke and heat. Areas further from the fires are likely to enjoy Good air and this is a great time to throw open all the doors and windows to flush out homes.
Unfortunately areas closer to the fires, especially Chelan and Okanogan counties will only enjoy modest improvements.
Catch-22
Them winds dont come with no string attached. They're strong enough to worsen fire growth. Early next week we're likely to see a return to calmer conditions so fresh smoke will not dissipate easily.
Ecology and DNR staff discuss the smoke forecast and health-protection steps you can take:
Prefer the forecast the same old way?
Satellite picture from this morning shows a lot of smoke overhead and fires in the Cascades puffing out a lot of smoke.
The clouds offshore are a harbinger of a cold front that will clear things out by tonight into Saturday. Most of western WA should see Good air this weekend, but there might be some lightning on Saturday so the potential exists for new fire starts.
Much of eastern Washington has been choking and frying all week but will see some improvement, both from smoke and heat. Areas further from the fires are likely to enjoy Good air and this is a great time to throw open all the doors and windows to flush out homes.
Unfortunately areas closer to the fires, especially Chelan and Okanogan counties will only enjoy modest improvements.
Catch-22
Them winds dont come with no string attached. They're strong enough to worsen fire growth. Early next week we're likely to see a return to calmer conditions so fresh smoke will not dissipate easily.
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/
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