When Will Yakima Air Quality Clear Up?

Ah...its August in Yakima which in recent years seems to always mean persistent smoke. You wake up hoping to be greeted by blue skies and sunshine but instead are greeted with haze. Also it seems like just when we think we're home free, it appears again!

Forecast

Weather forecasters have massive difficulty predicting future air quality since it is related to fires which cannot be predicted. However, we can use winds and weather systems to give an estimate as to when the current round of haze will be pushed out. The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert for Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Kittitas, Walla Walla, and Yakima Counties until further notice meaning they don't have a strong idea of when things will return to normal. Some are saying things could remain fairly hazy until Tuesday due to lack of winds which means stagnant air gets trapped in the valley! However, we don't know for sure.

READ MORE:  WHY ARE WE HAVING SO MANY FIRES IN CENTRAL WA THIS DECADE?

Air Quality Index

Check your local AQI index to determine a healthy level of outdoor activity! 0-50 is good, 50-100 is moderate, 100-150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 150 to 200 is unhealthy for everyone, 200 to 300 is very unhealthy and above 300 is hazardous. Above 150 it is unwise for anybody to spend lengthy periods of time outside.

The National Weather Service recommends using High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in air purifying systems, cooling and heating systems. They also recommend not using any type of indoor smoke.