Smoke Warning: Air Quality Alert Extended For Western Washington

SEATTLE — Western Washington is in for more smoke this week after all, and an air quality warning that had previously been set to expire early Monday has now been extended through most of the week.

Forecasts all throughout last week and the weekend had predicted that Monday would be a long-awaited reprieve, with meteorologists expecting winds to push much of the smoke east and away from the Puget Sound region.

Unfortunately however, that weather system never came to fruition, and many were in for a rude awakening Monday when they peered out their windows and saw the ominous haze remained. And not only does much of the weekend's smoke continue to linger, but forecasters say southerly winds are now bringing in even more smoke from the massive wildfires burning in Oregon.

An air quality alert that had been set to expire at 11 a.m. Monday has now been extended through noon Thursday. Until then, the National Weather Service says air quality will range from 'unhealthy' to 'unhealthy to sensitive groups' with slight improvements through the mid-week. Similar warnings have been issued for much of central and southern Washington as well.

According to the NWS, when air quality is this bad, everyone should stay indoors as much as possible, and keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from leaking in. Those who have AC should set theirs to recirculate and use HEPA air filters if possible. Residents should also not burn incense or light candles indoors, both of which could worsen air pollution inside the home. Finally, anyone who has suffered a stroke, or who has heart or lung disease, should talk to their doctor about either leaving the area, or being fitted with a respiratory mask.

More information on air quality levels across the region, and guidance for dealing with poor air quality can be found at the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's website.

To prevent more fires from sparking up, fire marshals for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties have all issued burn bans forbidding outdoor burning. The Department of Natural Resources has a similar ban in place for all DNR-managed lands.

As for how the forecast could go so wrong, the answer is somewhat complicated. The Washington Department of Ecology posted an explainer on their blog, but the shorthand answer is this: experts relied on a smoke model called the HRRR model, which ended up being much more optimistic about the smoke forecast than most other, ultimately more accurate smoke models.