New Wildfire Smoke Has Returned to Washington State

Early Thursday morning, I saw a red wildfire smoke sunrise. Today, the familiar yellowish, orange sunlight appeared back on the carpet at my work - from the skylight above.

The air quality readings around the state - smoke is mostly staying high above us

(As of Thursday (6/15/23) at 1pm)

* Wenatchee - 53 Moderate

* Quincy - 55 Moderate

* Moses Lake - 52 Moderate

* Waterville - 50 Good

* Chelan - 47 Good

* Winthrop - 112 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

* Richland - 49 Good

* Seattle - 65 Moderate

* Spokane - 55 Moderate

Smoke from British Columbia has once again floated here to Washington State.

Looking at the wildfire smoke map, there is a slight haze of wildfire smoke across a good portion of Washington State. The hazy conditions stretch from Puget Sound, across the Cascades into Central and Eastern Washington.

The cause of the smoke? The main culprit is the 1.2 million acre Donnie Creek Fire in northeast British Columbia. 

Winds have generally been coming at us from the west. But due to a couple factors, including a low pressure system, bringing in strong west winds and the recent cool front of colder prevailing winds from the north - Canada.

Strong winds from the west resume on Friday, clearing out the haze.

The Recent brush fires around North Central Washington (north of Chelan on HWY 97 and one south of Ephrata) did not contribute to the recent slightly-decreased air quality. The strong winds that helped spring the brush fires to life, also scattered the smoke.

A British Columbia wildfire online website (BC Wildfire Service) provides us with a forecast of where the hazy smoke across Washington State should be flowing in the coming few days.

SOURCE: BC Wildfire Service