Smoke eases slightly, but air quality will get worse before it gets better
Persistent wildfire smoke eased slightly across Whatcom County, as air quality improved to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” near Maple Falls and dropped away from the “hazardous” zone in Bellingham.
But smoke will return throughout Wednesday and into Thursday, Sept. 17, as Northwest Washington has some of the worst air quality in the world.
“Unfortunately, we’ve got this wind shift going on so all this smoke is coming up from Oregon,” said meteorologist Mary Butwin at the National Weather Service in Seattle.
“So it’s likely to get worse. (But) the end is near,” Butwin said.
A mix of clouds and fog will keep the skies mostly gray for several days, the onlineforecast said.
“The smoke is mostly combined with foggy mist. You might see something settling on your car,” Butwin said.
High temperatures were expected around 70 degrees Wednesday and Thursday, with widespread smoke.
More fog and mist was forecast at night, with lows in the mid-50s.
Current readings
Bellingham’s air quality index was 204 at 10 a.m. Wednesday, near the very “very unhealthy” level of 200 and below the “hazardous” level of 300 where it had been late Tuesday, Sept. 15, according to a Northwest Clean Air Agency monitoring station.
Air quality was in the “unhealthy” range in the Lynden/Custer area at 172, and “unhealthy” in Maple Falls at 150.
Smoke particles were the key pollutant.
According to the app “Sh**t! I Smoke,” Whatcom County’s air quality had an impact on most people’s health equal to smoking nearly five cigarettes Wednesday.
And computer forecast models from NOAA and FireSmoke Canada show heavy smoke returning later Wednesday and Thursday.
Worst air since 2018
“Air quality in the Pacific Northwest is some of the worst in the world this week, with Portland, Oregon, on the top of the list and Seattle coming in at No. 4,” the state Department of Ecology tweeted Wednesday.
Many Washington residents are enduring the worst air quality recorded since August 2018, according to Ecology data.
While the smoky air from wildfires in 2017 and 2018 lasted longer, the overall air quality has been worse over the past week, Ecology said in its Smoke Blog.
“Washingtonians have not spent as much time breathing compromised air this year compared to 2017 and 2018,” Ecology said. “However, the amount of time we have spent breathing ‘hazardous’ air is unprecedented. Even if we look as far back as 2006, we don’t see ‘hazardous’ conditions occurring for anywhere as long.”
COVID tests resume
Drive-thru testing resumed Wednesday after cancellations since Friday, Sept. 11, because of smoke, Whatcom Unified Command said in a statement.
Staff and volunteers now have respiratory protections against smoke, and patients in cars should keep windows closed until they are tested and use recirculating air in their vehicles while waiting in line.
Library services
At the Whatcom County Library System, curbside pickup resumed at all branches Wednesday.
Bellingham Public Library has canceled its curbside pickup services through Friday, Sept. 18.
Burn bans in effect
Officials at the Northwest Clean Air Agency issued last week an indefinite “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. Propane barbecues and propane fire pits without wood are allowed, however.
County officials also closed the Plantation Rifle Range in an effort to avoid sparking a wildfire.
Power outages
Sudden Valley Community Association alerted residents in the Gate 9 and Gate 13 area off Lake Louise Road that there would be power outages lasting at least six hours on Thursday and Monday for some homes.
A Puget Sound Energy official said the work was being performed by a contractor for the homeowners association.
Outages were because of planned construction work, according to the homeowners association website.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
