Smoke Tempest Hits Washington State

The rise Sun this morning time inwards Seattle has that other worldly red-yellow coloring too a thick haze lays over western Washington.

The reason?  Massive amounts of fume has made its was southward from the wildfires inwards British Columbia too westward from the several fires inwards eastern Washington.
Seattle at 6:23 AM Tuesday.  Can you lot come across the sun?
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 video drone ascent on northern Kitsap (provided yesteryear Greg Johnson of Skunk Bay Weather) dramatically shows the murk:


The latest Washington State Air Quality Map shows unhealthy atmospheric condition over western Washington, amongst some locations (like Port Angeles, Cheeka Peek nigh Tatoosh, too several locations on the eastern slopes of the Cascades) reaching really unhealthy too hazardous conditions.


In fact, air lineament is improve inwards Beijing correct at i time (see graphic)


Yesterday's noon paradigm from the NASA MODIS satellite over the share was stunning.  You tin toilet come across the fume moving into western WA from Canada too eastern WA too in that place was an amazing, long fume forepart over southern Washington.

Here is Seattle (Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Duwamish site), the fume (PM.5) surged yesterday afternoon, peaking this morning time to around lxxx mg per cubic meter (1-hr average).


This was yesteryear far the highest value this summer.  To give you lot some context, hither is the same plot since belatedly May.  Nothing close.  There was a tyke peak on July 4/5 of almost 1/3 the value.


Solar radiations is beingness substantially reduced yesteryear the smoke.  Here are plots on the UW Atmospheric Sciences roof for yesterday too August ninth (before the smoke).  Down almost 14%.  The consequence volition endure substantially cooling of today's highs yesteryear at to the lowest degree v F based on recent sense amongst our WRF model.
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 The densest fume is constitute at the lowest elevations.  Paradise (5500 ft) is on the border too Camp Muir (about 10,000 ft) is to a higher house the gunk (see picture)



The skilful intelligence is that depression marking air lineament should improve subsequently today over Puget Sound too NW Washington, every bit suggested yesteryear the latest forecast of the NOAA/NWS HRRR fume system.  But fume volition render eventually.


And every bit I volition speak almost inwards a subsequently blog, fume forecasting has improved dramatically inwards recent years, giving meteorologists a powerful tool inwards alert folks of degrading air lineament from wildfires.

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