Smoke returns to Whatcom again — how bad will it be and how long will it stick around?
Air quality worsened early Friday, Sept. 11, in western Whatcom County as smoke from wildfires drifted overhead.
Conditions forced many residents to keep their windows closed against the smoke, canceled drive-thru COVID-19 testing in Lynden, and prompted restrictive burn bans.
Winds shifted from east to south and west overnight, bringing cooler marine air and relief from several days of unseasonably warm late-summer weather.
But those ocean breezes also contain smoke from the massive wildfires burning across California and Oregon, and it threatens to foul the air over Western Washington through the weekend.
“The smoke has arrived in Seattle,” the National Weather Service tweeted at 2 a.m. “Noticeable change in what the air smells like from a couple of hours ago.”
Air monitoring stations showed levels of smoke particles that were “unhealthy” for everyone at 9 a.m. Friday in Bellingham, according to the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
Smoke was “very unhealthy” in Ferndale, “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in Lynden/Custer and “moderate” near Maple Falls.
Computer models from both NOAA and FireSmoke Canada showed smoke from the south and west enveloping Western Washington through the weekend.
Most showed that Sunday could be the worst, with extremely poor air quality.
It was unclear when relief might arrive, but showers are possible Monday and Tuesday.
Whatcom Unified Command canceled an outdoor COVID-19 testing event because of smoke.
Officials at the Northwest Clean Air Agency continued a “stage two” burn ban that outlaws all outside fires, including recreational fires and campfires, in Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties.
Fire officials in Whatcom County and the cities of Bellingham and Ferndale issued similar burn bans Wednesday.
Propane and charcoal barbecues and propane fire pits without wood are allowed, however.
County officials also closed the Plantation Rifle Range because they feared sparking a wildfire.
Meanwhile, Friday’s forecast for Bellingham was for partly sunny to sunny skies with areas of smoke and a high near 70.
And the state Department of Ecology’s air monitoring network showed levels of smoke particles in the air across the Puget Sound region ranging from “hazardous” in Shelton to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in Mount Vernon.
“A mix of marine clouds and smoke in the morning will give way to sunny skies over much of Western Washington (Friday),” the National Weather Service said in its online forecast discussion. “Smoke from wildfires will remain an issue into the weekend resulting in poor air quality at times.”
A red flag warning expired because the hot, dry air that created critical fire conditions has eased.
But an air quality alert remains, even though more seasonable weather lies ahead after five days with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal.
A high of 85 degrees Thursday broke the record of 81 set in 1989 at Bellingham International Airport.
Forecasts call for sunny skies with areas of smoke and highs around 70 through Sunday. Lows will be in the mid- to high-50s.
“Smoke from wildfires across portions of the state will continue to yield unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy air quality across Western Washington through the weekend,” the weather service said. “Winds are expected to shift to a southerly/southwesterly direction Friday into the weekend, which will bring smoke from fires in Oregon into Western Washington, keeping air quality reduced. Expect conditions to be worse during the overnight hours through this period as calmer winds will allow smoke to settle.”
Poor air quality means that everyone — especially those with heart and lung conditions, children and those over 65 — should limit their time spent outdoors and avoid strenuous activities, the weather service said.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 7:48 AM.
