Winds, cold front expected to push some smoke out of Spokane area on Sunday

Spokane’s air quality dropped to unhealthy levels again on Sunday, but westerly winds were expected to sweep through and bring cleaner air for the region, weather officials said.

Travis Wilson, Spokane meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said potential winds up to 30 mph would push the smoke out of the area, though with fires burning in nearly every part of the state, smoke is not likely to be gone for good.

“It’s a contribution of fires burning all around us,” Wilson said.

Air quality dipped into the moderate range Sunday evening.

The winds will also bring a cold front starting Monday, with temperatures expected to hover in the upper 70s and lower 80s for the rest of the week. A change in these wind patterns might bring another surge of smoke and haze later in the week, Wilson said.

Wilson said August usually sees cooler days than June and July, lowering the region’s chance of breaking the six-day record of 100-degree days. The latest Spokane has ever exceeded 100 degrees was Aug. 31, so there is still the possibility of snapping the historic heat record.

Weather officials also noticed the potential for rainfall and thunderstorms in the area Tuesday, which would also keep temperatures cooler during the week.

Though northeastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle could see significantly more rain than Spokane, Wilson said the much-needed moisture would “be potentially enough to wet the ground.”