Residents of the Seattle area should prepare for a haze-filled weekend as wildfire smoke from eastern Washington, Oregon, and California is expected to drift into the region, causing a decline in air quality. According to the National Weather Service Seattle, satellite imagery has already detected smoke moving over the Cascade Mountains, with changing wind patterns anticipated to bring additional smoke from the south.
The initial impact of the incoming smoke is expected to manifest as brighter sunsets and hazy conditions in the mountains, as the smoke is likely to remain elevated in the atmosphere. Michael Fagin from West Coast Weather noted, “While the smoke will create some stunning visual effects, it also poses potential risks to air quality.”
The Puget Sound region’s air quality will be influenced not only by local wildfires but also by those raging in Oregon and California. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has warned that air quality levels could drop to moderate or worse, depending on the volume of smoke entering the region, the heights of smoke plumes, and wind speeds—all of which remain challenging to predict.
Current weather patterns indicate that winds above 6,000 feet are transporting wildfire smoke northward into western Washington. This influx could lead to hazier skies and more vivid sunrises and sunsets. Experts say that a shift in wind direction should push much of the smoke away, potentially clearing the skies by the end of the weekend.
The Pioneer Fire near Lake Chelan has grown to over 33,000 acres and is only 12% contained as of Friday. Meanwhile, the state of Oregon has experienced a catastrophic fire season, with over 1.3 million acres burned, significantly surpassing the devastation witnessed in 2020.
In addition to concerning air quality, western Washington residents can expect temperatures to soar close to 90 degrees this weekend, with similar highs projected into next week, maintaining the mid to upper 80s range.
