Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – The smoke that blew into our area overnight from wildfires in eastern Washington should, for the most part, dissipate at ground level for most of us by this evening, but is expected to move aloft and could hang around for days.
That’s according to Meteorologist Mary Butwin from the National Weather Service.
“They should be starting to clear out later this afternoon with a switch to northerly winds. However, this pattern’s going to stick around for most of the week with this high pressure off the coast. So, not the best conditions for air quality, but the winds will start to decrease in speed as the week goes on, which will help things. So the smoke won’t necessarily be at the surface like it is now. It’ll probably be a loft in our area though.”
With the wind shifting to northerly we could see another round of smoke because of multiple fires burning in British Columbia.
As for eastern Washington, thousands of firefighters and volunteers are working to contain the Apple Acres Fire near the city of Chelan, estimated at 2,500 acres and growing, as well as the Babb Road Fire in Spokane County, near Spangle, estimated at 2,500 acres and growing.
There’s the Whitney Fire in Lincoln County, near Davenport, at 600 acres and growing, the Colfax Fire located in Whitman County which is threatening the City of Colfax, estimated at 1,000 acres and growing, and the Pearl Hill/Cold Springs Fire near the city of Okanogan, estimated at 8,000 acres and growing.
Hot, dry conditions have increased the risk of fires in western Washington as well, and the National Weather Service predicts temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s this week in some areas, though here along the Strait of Juan De Fuca we’re expecting temperatures in the mid to upper 70s.
(Satellite photo tracks smoke moving into western Washington)