Air Quality Alert for Central Oregon, cooler pattern ahead
As one issues ends, another issue develops. The high temperatures are likely to be in the 80s for the first time since the 4th of July, but the air quality is dangerously unhealthy.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issues an Air Quality Advisory for the region until further notice due to the wildfires in the region.
The flow of air is arriving from the west and there are numerous smaller fires over the Cascades that are contributing smoke to Central Oregon. Also, the winds higher in the sky are bringing in some smoke as well. If that wasn’t enough, the showers and storms to the east are generating erratic winds that may be bringing in some smoke from the Mega-fires to our east.
The bottom line is, the region is now consumed by the smoke from the fires that are burning throughout the state. This is not a surprise, as earlier this week we have noted that our location has been favorable with respect to smoke. But since we are surrounded by wildfires, large and small, the inevitability of poor air quality loomed large.
Forecast winds will be back in our favor as we head into the weekend, but I am not convinced that we will rise into any good air quality reports for several days.
The good news is that the heat wave is coming to an end as the mercury in the thermometer is expected to only reach the low to middle 80s the rest of the week. A bit of a rise to near 90 is expected this weekend, but it is a far cry from the near triple digit heat we have seen the previous three weekends.
Stay inside as much as possible, the smoke will impact the area significantly.
Stay Safe
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