Hazy, smoky skies from wildfires and building heat will be the story, with relief not likely until a stronger onshore push arrives later this week.On Monday aft
Hazy, smoky skies from wildfires and building heat will be the story, with relief not likely until a stronger onshore push arrives later this week.
On Monday afternoon, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issued an air quality alert through 5 p.m. Wednesday for King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties due to wildfire smoke. Late Tuesday morning, the alert was expanded to include Mason and Grays Harbor counties, and extended until 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Smoke is increasing Tuesday as more wildfire smoke drifts in from central and eastern Washington and British Columbia.
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Early Tuesday morning, air quality was already noticeably worse around Duvall, Black Diamond, Snoqualmie, Buckley, and Gold Bar. Around Bellevue, Renton, and Seattle, conditions were hazy but not quite as smoky overnight.
At 12:30 p.m., the Department of Ecology's Air Quality Map showed there was moderate air quality along the Interstate 5 corridor from Bellingham to Longview and even west to Aberdeen.
At that time, Issaquah and North Bend's air quality was listed as unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Expect worsening air quality and climbing temperatures through Thursday as smoke begins to mix down to the surface.
East of the Cascades, it's much rougher, with Leavenworth, Chelan, Orondo, Winthrop, Twisp, Ellensburg, and Cle Elum dealing with some of the poorest air quality in the state.
Hot temperatures this week
Tuesday afternoon, expect mid-80s around Redmond and Leschi, upper 80s in Olympia and Centralia, and low 90s in parts of northwest Washington, including Bellingham and Mount Vernon.
The coast remains the escape hatch, with highs around 70 in Westport and much cleaner air if you're thinking about a quick trip to the beach.
East of the Cascades, highs climb to around 90 in Wenatchee and Omak.
Wednesday looks even hotter, with smoke lingering or increasing in many areas.
Most communities outside downtown Seattle will once again wake up in the 50s before temperatures surge during the afternoon.
The current Air Quality Alert runs through late Wednesday afternoon, but additional extensions remain possible depending on how the smoke evolves.
A stronger push of marine air should eventually bring cleaner air inland, but exactly when that reaches the central Puget Sound is still a bit uncertain.
By Friday, the heat should begin easing as marine air works farther inland ahead of the next weather system.
The cleaner, cooler air will take longer to reach central and eastern Washington, where smoke may linger into the weekend.
Unfortunately, the returning winds could also create new challenges for firefighters on existing wildfires.
