Poor air quality remains along with the dry and mild weather

There has been poor air quality for a couple of days now as the lingering fires continue to produce smoke. The Rail Ridge fire is still active and grew by over 1000 acres this weekend.  Smoke is being generated to our east as the fire consumes outside the NW perimeter.  Firefighting efforts are addressing the burns, and have been establishing wider perimeter blockades. The fires currently burning in the Cascades (Little Lava, Young Grasshopper) in the Bachelor and Willamette Complexes are still smoldering and creeping. Smoke is being generated in pockets inside and just outside the perimeters.

The weather this week will once again be defined as a dry and mild.  There will be temperature fluctuations from the upper 70s and low 80s Tuesday then expect upper 60s and low 70s the rest of the week and into the weekend.

The suggestion of some light rain this week is being debated by several models and there is no definitive answer to our dry pattern. The consensus is leaning dry, with no chance for any “wetting” rainfall this week. This is not good news as Central Oregon and the Cascades are tinder dry, and the assistance of some rain to relieve the wildfire situation would be welcomed.

The warmer than normal pattern is not helping the fire fighting efforts, and the breezy pattern over the weekend was not good news.  The chance for some widespread rain over the next several days is almost zero. Please be aware of anything that may spark a new wildfire as we are still in danger of rapid fire growth, even this deep into Autumn.

Stay Safe

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