Whatcom’s skies fill with wildfire smoke — here’s what our air quality looks like
Smoke from wildfires in Eastern Washington was expected to ease overnight but return to unhealthy levels for Bellingham and southern Whatcom County on Wednesday.
It’s the worst air quality that Northwest Washington has seen since in two years, said Seth Preston, spokesman for the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
“I think it’s safe to say we have not had air quality like this in Bellingham since the wildfires of 2018,” Preston told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
“But it looks as though it will be relatively short-lived. The modeling shows that winds will shift, which should provide relief later today,” Preston said.
Readings in Bellingham showed the air was at “unhealthy” levels of smoke particles in Bellingham on Tuesday morning, but air quality was “good” at monitoring stations in Ferndale, Custer/Lynden, and near Maple Falls.
Air quality was worst Tuesday from Bellingham south to Tacoma, as winds pushed smoke from several wildfires in Eastern Washington over the Cascades.
Mary Butwin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, said the pattern of smoky mornings and clear afternoons and evenings could continue for the next several days.
“You guys are the lucky ones. It’s going to clear out the fastest,” Butwin told The Herald in an interview.
“There is a chance of (low-level smoke) dropping down Wednesday morning, but it won’t be as bad,” Butwin said.
Northern Whatcom County’s air should remain clear of smoke, she said.
A ridge of high pressure off the Washington coast is creating easterly winds that’s causing unseasonably warm temperatures.
Those northeast winds gusted above 40 mph and toppled trees and branches Monday, knocking out power to as many as 6,000 Puget Sound Energy customers before noon Monday in southern Whatcom County.
Several outside fires were reported Monday and Tuesday across Whatcom County, as a “red flag warning” was issued for unseasonably warm temperatures with low humidity.
Wednesday’s forecast called for sunny skies with a high of 80, about 10 degrees warmer than normal for early September.
Residents were urged to keep windows closed to lessen smoke exposure and to keep their shades drawn against the heat.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 7:28 AM.
