Air quality warning for Western Washington in effect through Saturday

An air quality warning for Western Washington has now been extended through 10 a.m. Saturday.

Western Washington saw slight overnight improvements in air quality and smoke levels between Wednesday and Thursday morning and that will continue into the weekend.

“An approaching Pacific storm system will bring increasing potential for showers and even thunderstorms to portions of Western Washington (Thursday night) and more widespread precipitation on Friday,” the National Weather Service described. “Smoke will continue to linger across the area tonight with improvement Friday into Saturday.”

Beyond that, the NWS said a more organized storm system is expected next week.

Air quality between Bellingham and Olympia ranged between 120 and 200 Thursday evening, settling between 160 and 170 in the Seattle area. That’s an improvement from the low to mid 200s earlier Thursday.

Air quality is typically measured on a scale of 0 to 500. Between 51 and 100 is considered “moderate,” 101 to 150 is “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” 151 to 200 is “unhealthy,” 201 to 300 is “very unhealthy,” and 301 to 500 is considered “hazardous.”

For the first time in days, parts of the Seattle area are in the “unhealthy” category, having resided mostly in the “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” range for much of the last week. You can monitor ongoing air quality through the Washington Department of Ecology’s interactive map here.

Seattle parks, beaches, playfields, golf courses, and boat ramps, which have been closed this week due to the poor air quality, will reopen starting Friday morning.

Protecting your health

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency recommends staying indoors with the windows closed as much as possible.

The agency’s Dr. Phil Swartzendruber told CBS that people are inhaling what is essentially microscopic tar and creosote, similar to what might collect in your chimney.

“That’s essentially what the smoke is,” Swartzendruber said. “So that’s getting deep into the lungs and penetrating into the lungs. That can aggravate the system, can cause a stressor on the heart and lungs.”

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While smoke remains, residents are advised to keep windows closed and avoid going outdoors whenever possible, especially those with preexisting respiratory problems. Find additional tips from the state Department of Health on how to protect yourself from smoke online here.

“Unhealthy air quality means that everyone, especially sensitive groups, should limit time spent outdoors, avoid strenuous activities outdoors, and choose light indoor activities,” the NWS states.

The Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington has put together a list of tips for dealing with smoke. Besides closing windows and staying indoors, the DEOHS recommends people avoid vacuuming or frying food. Also, try to recirculate air with a fan that has a filter. You can build your own by putting a HEPA filter into a box fan.

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