Smoke, air quality issues for July 5
Wednesday will approach record heat
Out the door Wednesday, just a few high clouds to the north for a brief moment, otherwise, plenty of sunshine out of the gate.
After a busy night of fires and fireworks, smoke is creating air quality issues in Puget Sound today. Expect some improvement tonight, tomorrow and certainly Friday. Keep in mind: the smoke forecast is dependent on several factors, including containment efforts of a fire in Mason County.
Unfortunately, air quality is struggling in a major way for some communities today. This is due to a mix of a few things, including overnight fireworks and the McEwan Fire in Mason County (burning more than 200 acres). Here's where air quality stood earlier today:
Here's an up-to-date air quality map at the link below. It shows that most backyards in Snohomish and King Counties are either moderate or "unhealthy for sensitive groups," but some neighborhoods have unhealthy air.
>> Washington Smoke Information
The air is worst in Pierce County and Tacoma: levels this morning ranged from unhealthy to very unhealthy.
Here's what Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says: "as long as there are fires near Shelton, poor air quality will persist in much of our region." For more details on air quality around the region, go here:
- https://enviwa.ecology.wa.gov/home/map
- https://pscleanair.gov/
- https://www.swcleanair.gov/
- https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/dept/files/public-health/wildfire%20smoke/DOH_Wildfire_Smoke_Face_Masks_Factsheet.pdf
- https://nwcleanairwa.gov/
- https://www.orcaa.org/
Check out our smoke futurecast below. The overall trend is that smoke will thin out tomorrow in the lower levels of the atmosphere, but a few trouble spots remain if the McEwan Fire is ongoing and if people keep setting off fireworks. Something to keep in mind: even if air quality gets better at the surface, some high-level smoke may linger.
A Red Flag Warning is posted until 7 tonight for the Central and South Cascades and Southwest Washington. Dry and unstable air is elevating the threat for fires.
Some good news: winds both near the surface and in the upper levels of the atmosphere will be generally coming from a westerly direction from Friday through Tuesday. This will help scrub out the smoke and usher in cleaner air from the Pacific Ocean. Of course, this forecast is subject to change. Stay tuned for any updates!
One note: there's a slight chance for a few showers and thunderstorms over the Cascades today through Friday. The lowlands of Whatcom and Skagit Counties could even get a little thunder today. Any storms today could feature lightning and gusty conditions.
Enjoy the beautiful sunshine this upcoming weekend! Please do your part to not start any fires in our state.
Thanks for choosing FOX 13 – we're so grateful for your viewership!
Warmly,
Meteorologist Abby Acone
Follow me on Twitter @abbyacone, Instagram @abbyaconewx, TikTok @abbyaconetv and Facebook (Meteorologist Abby Acone)