SPOKANE, Wash.– Environmental officials in Washington and Idaho issued Air Quality Alerts around the Inland Northwest for this weekend. This is in anticipation of some quick changes in weather, more specifically shifting winds.
Despite cooler weather than in recent weeks, low humidity is also expected Friday through Sunday which should fuel fire growth and smoke production. Winds will shift out of the east on Friday and turn out of the south by Sunday morning. This wind change will bring smoke from fires in Central Idaho, Eastern Oregon, and Western Montana. This will likely lead to degraded air quality in most of North Idaho, Spokane, and the Palouse.
Copyright 4 News Now
Air Quality Alerts are in effect for the L-C Valley, Camas Prairie, Palouse, Clearwater Mountains, and the Blue Mountains. Smoke from the Kootenai River Complex will also keep air quality in Bonner and Boundary counties less than ideal as the days go by.
Elsewhere, the foot of the Cascades will likely see some improvement. Smoke from fires along the Canada border pushed air quality down to hazardous levels in Chelan. The wind shift will blow smoke from these fires toward the Mount Baker region and toward Vancouver, BC.
Keep an eye on air quality in your neighborhood by clicking HERE.
