The smoke and heat threat is mostly behind us for Western Washington, but for Central and Eastern Washington, surging dry winds will fan ongoing wildfires.
After days of dangerous wildfire smoke, relief could finally be on the way.
The haze and smoke will slowly leave western Washington, with much improved air quality on Friday as compared to Thursday morning.
But as conditions improve in western Washington, fire danger is rising again east of the Cascades.
In central and eastern Washington, surging dry winds will fan ongoing wildfires and could quickly spread any new starts.
While the increasing winds will help clear some smoke east of the Cascades, increased fire activity could produce even more smoke, further engulfing areas near and downwind of active fires.
The onshore flow will pick up speed as it winds its way through gaps in the Cascades, rushing into the Wenatchee, Kittitas, and Yakima valleys at 30 to 40 mph this weekend.
The strongest winds will be on Friday and Saturday.
As such, a Red Flag Warning is in place there through late Saturday night to underscore the return of critical fire danger to the eastern half of the state.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect east of the Cascades until 11 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2026. (KOMO)Meanwhile, back west, that same onshore push is helping clean out the air and cool things off.
Pleasant weather is in store for places like West Seattle and Redmond, with highs Friday in the mid-80s and closer to 80 on both Saturday and Sunday.
There will be passing clouds at times, and the air will continue to clear, with nights refreshingly cool.
Whether in eastern or western Washington, people should ensure they don't spark a new wildfire.
Those who are out in nature should pay special attention to anything that could inadvertently create a spark or ignition source.
Even chains dragging from vehicle trailers or parking or driving over dry grass can start fires.
