Seattle-area haze from B.C. wildfires isn’t going anywhere yet

Have you heard the expression “broken record?” That’s what the National Weather Service says to expect from this week’s forecast.

Forecasters aren’t expecting it to be quite as bad — or hot — as it was last week, but things are not going to change much from the weekend’s conditions, according to meteorologist Dustin Guy.

“Today, and the next two to three days, will pretty much be a copy of yesterday,” Guy said early Monday morning. “The combination of marine air and smoke will keep a lid on temperatures,” which are expected to hit the low to mid-80s through midweek.

Guy said that air quality had improved slightly over the weekend but could worsen again as the haze from the devastating wildfires up in British Columbia is expected to linger, and perhaps even worsen as the week stretches out. It’s unclear when the smoke could completely clear out.

•  Seattle-area haze from B.C. wildfires isn’t going anywhere yet
• Has the smoke in Seattle from B.C. wildfires affected your summer? We want to know
• Don’t light up charcoal grill: burn ban in effect amid smoky air
•  10 health tips to stay safe during Seattle’s smoky haze 
• Before and during Seattle’s wildfire haze: Watch Mount Rainier disappear
•  Why so much smoke from B.C. wildfires? ‘Nature’s air conditioning’ is broken, weather service says 
•  Scorched? 5 tips to stay cool at night during heat wave 

 

As we approach next weekend, there is a chance that cooler marine air will bring us back into our normal temperature range in the mid-70s.

“Optimistically, we could be closer to normal and have cleaner air next weekend,” Guy said.

Guy noted that today we tie the 1951 record for most consecutive days without measurable precipitation in the Seattle area. On Tuesday, we are expected to break the record when we hit 52 days without rain, he said.

He said weather service employees don’t generally bet on things, but the obvious question will be how many days will get tacked on to the new record-breaking dry streak.

Though Guy acknowledged that the recent hot, dry weather could have some Seattleites hoping for rain, it’s not a universal sentiment.

Last winter’s long stretch of record-breaking rain means some people will not be ready to jump right back into the rainy season, or as he called it, “the atmospheric river.”

“A change in weather would not be a bad thing, but I don’t know if I’m personally ready for that kind of rain,” Guy said.