Weather
Puget Sound Smoke Forecast: Some Haze May Arrive Thursday
A pool of smoke from Northern California may make the trip up north by late in the week. Fortunately, most of it should stay overhead.
SEATTLE — A high-pressure system forecast to bring heat to Puget Sound late this week may also pull in smoke from wildfires burning in Northern California. In a blog post Tuesday, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's Graeme Carvlin detailed the potential for some haze arriving from two sources later in the week. Carvlin said the expected shift to easterly winds could pull in smoke from a fire burning near Yakima by Thursday or Friday.
Fortunately, current models show smoke staying well overhead, and forecasters expect the overall impact from fires burning in Central and Eastern Washington will be low for Puget Sound. However, forecasters are keeping an eye on smoke from Northern California, which may reach Western Washington around the same timeframe.
"In contrast, fires in northern CA are putting out a whole bunch of smoke," Carvlin wrote. "The smoke is starting to pool off the coast and could be brought northward with the clockwise rotation of the high-pressure system starting Thursday. It will take some time to make it up here, so we may begin to see haze skies late Thursday or Friday."
W WA wildfire smoke: "Overall, we expect mostly high-level smoke [from northern California] Thursday through Saturday with minimal impacts on the ground." Also: hot days likely to raise W WA ozone levels, esp. in Cascade foothills. Details: https://t.co/9QBSSRmFA5 pic.twitter.com/jeyJRlT105
— Ecology - Northwest Region (@ecyseattle) August 10, 2021
Luckily, that round of smoke is also projected to stay mostly aloft, with minimal impacts to air on the ground. Though some haze could stick around through Saturday, westerly winds should return before the end of the weekend to clear out any remaining smoke, forecasters said.
Current smoke forecasts show the potential for some "moderate" air quality in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties Thursday and Friday. High temperatures will likely increase ozone levels in areas closer to the Cascades, where air quality may dip into the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range.
As for the late-week heat, earlier forecasts remain on track, with highs in the mid-90s expected for the Seattle area both Thursday and Friday. An excessive heat watch goes into effect Wednesday at noon and will remain in place until Saturday evening.
Heat wave still on track. Cooler Saturday and back to normal temps Sunday. #wawx pic.twitter.com/U0C0UepJRB
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) August 10, 2021
Smoke and air quality resources:
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