Air quality improves this afternoon

Air quality improved quickly after the lunch hour today as a southwest wind started blowing away some of the smoke that has lingered over the Spokane region. Unhealthy air was reported this morning across a wide swath of the Inland Northwest from north central Washington eastward across the entire Idaho Panhandle. But the 2:20 p.m. report from the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency said the air quality index was at 108, down from 175 after 9 a.m. today. AirNow, which uses a different method for calculating the air quality index, listed Spokane in the moderately polluted category at 95. The National Weather Service posted a “red-flag” warning for dangerous fire weather from increasing winds, warm temperatures and low humidity this afternoon. While that is bad for fire suppression, it is apparently helping to ventilate some of the persistent smoke that has caused people to seek indoor shelter and cancel outdoor events to get away from the bad air. Twisp in the heart of the wildfires in Okanogan County was at 182 this morning Clarkston on the western side of the Idaho Panhandle fires was at 177. The Spokane Indian reservation near the southern Stevens County fire was at 152. All are in the unhealthy range. All are morning readings. This afternoon, Inchelium was getting hit with heavy smoke. Air there was hazardous at 324 on the index. In North Idaho, unhealthy air for all was reported from the Kootenai Indian reservation in Boundary County southward to Nez Perce and Clearwater counties. The Nez Perce tribe reported hazardous air at Kamiah with a reading of 324, according to the AirNow government website. North Idaho has been seeing marked improvement this afternoon, too. Forecasters said a weak weather system from the Pacific coast today is bringing the increase of winds this afternoon with southwest gusts of 20 to 25 mph. The dry and warm weather, plus wind, is creating conditions for accelerating existing fires. Another storm on Friday evening and Saturday may bring some rain to fires from Chelan County all the way to North Idaho with higher amounts closer to the Cascades. Winds in the wake of that cold front could stir up a dust storm across the Columbia Basin and fan the wildfires again. Ultimately, that storm should reduce smoke pollution after the stronger winds die down. The system will be accompanied by the parent low-pressure area that had been stalled off shore, which will bring a change to a more autumn-like weather pattern. Cooler temperatures and breezy conditions with possible scattered showers will continue into next week with high temperatures in the 70s.