Hazardous air quality ahead
Over the last couple of days, winds have mostly been coming out of the southeast, helping keep our smoke levels at a minimum.
However, a big change is on the way Thursday that should impact those smoke levels, as well as our air quality.
By the evening, winds will shift to instead coming out of the northwest, pushing the smoke from the Santiam Fire across the High Desert.
That will gradually push us into the extremely dense smoke level range by Thursday evening. We expect to stay there through Saturday at least.
Those northwesterly winds will be calm for the most part, keeping the smoke closer to the surface.
That means our air quality once again is going to grow into the unhealthy and even hazardous range in places during that same time frame.
As a result, experts are advising you close your windows this weekend, and at-risk individuals should limit outdoor activities.
Another big change could come early next week, with about a 20%-30% chance to see showers Monday evening through Wednesday.
Don't forget to download our free KTVZ Local Alert Weather app for the most current conditions and we'll help keep you safe with customizable alerts.
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Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ktvz.android.weather&hl=en_US
