More smoke, w/ a short break
-GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, EVERYONE...
Once again, clear skies will be muddled by smoky air quality. We start the day under hazardous AQI, but look to see some modest relief this afternoon. Highs will be in the low to mid 80's and westerly and nw breezes will pick up to 5-10 mph; some areas seeing gusts a bit higher. The smoke will thicken again tonight as breezes come light out of the NW. Overnight lows will be scattered through the 40's.
As our skies become partly cloudy Thursday, we will see a little moderation in the smoke over the region. We have a chance of rain showers beginning Thursday night, and that will mark the beginning of some true relief. We have an 80% chance of rain Friday. The wash-out with that rain will significantly help to clear the air.
Colder air moving in with the rain will minimize our chance of seeing any thunderstorms. Highs will be in the mid to upper 60's Friday and Saturday. We will carry a chance of scattered showers into Saturday. Skies will start to clear Sunday. Highs will be in the low to mid 70's from Sunday into next week.
This round of showers and the cooler temperatures will certainly help wildfire-fighting efforts, but it will not likely be sufficient to extinguish the flames. There is a chance that we will still see a smoky haze across the region next week.
In the NewsChannel 21 Weather Center, I'm Bob Shaw...
HAVE A SPARKLING DAY IN CENTRAL OREGON!
