Thursday Smoke Forecast: Still Unhealthy, But Relief On Horizon

SEATTLE — The story of the week has been smoke, as massive wildfires in California and Oregon all blanketed the Puget Sound region with a brown haze.

But hopefully, smoke won't be the story for much longer. On Monday, after a storm that had been predicted to kick the smoke out of the air failed to materialized, the National Weather Service extended their air quality alter through noon Thursday.

As of Thursday morning, the air quality alert remains unchanged, and while the NWS is reporting unhealthy to very unhealthy conditions across the region, they remain hopeful that smoke will begin to lift in the afternoon and evening as a rainstorm moves in. They're predicting a 40 percent chance of rain Thursday night, followed by a 90 percent chance of rain Friday and Friday evening— hopefully enough to kick the smoke to the curb.

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says to expect smoky conditions through Thursday, with the first big improvements noticeable by Friday. Meanwhile, the Seattle Weather Blog predicts the storm should be enough to clear out the bulk of the smoke by Saturday.

On the other hand, the storm could end up being a double-edged sword, as it brings with it a chance of thunderstorms, and after a streak of wildfires the last thing western Washington needs is more fires sparked up by crashing lightning.

But even with a chance of lightning, forecasters remain optimistic because Washington needs this smoke gone. Western Washington has just seen some of the worst air quality on the planet: Portland Oregon may have taken top spot, but experts say Seattle was the city with the 4th worst air quality in the whole world this week. As explained in a blog post from the Washington Department of Ecology, one week of poor air quality for the Puget Sound isn't as bad as living in a heavily polluted area for a long period of time, but it has been dangerous in the short term for those who are sensitive to smoke.

Until that storm arrives, forecasters say the smoke will remain unhealthy. They're urging everyone to continue taking the same precautions they have all week, limiting their time outdoors, avoiding strenuous exercise, and refraining from using candles or incense indoors. Those who are especially sensitive to smoke can suffer serious health problems, as smoke can aggravate lung and heart diseases.