Hazy skies seen in South King County as wildfire smoke elevated from nearby fires

Residents of South King County woke up to a hazy morning, with the sky painted in shades of gray. KIRO Newsradio Meteorologist Ted Buehner explained the haze is due to elevated wildfire smoke from fires near Mount Rainier, the Pioneer Fire near Lake Chelan and fires in British Columbia.

Buehner explained the elevated smoke is primarily due to the distance of the wildfires. Local wildfires tend to bring smoke closer to the ground, as seen with the Bolt Creek fire a couple of summers ago. However, the current smoke remains elevated, posing less immediate risk to air quality at ground level.

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Shoppers at Southcenter Mall told KIRO Newsradio smoke was still visible on the freeway.

“You know how when people describe a beautiful day as ‘You can see Mount Rainier,'” Mysa, who works at the mall, said. “You can’t see Mount Rainier at all today.”

Randy Foreman stopped at the mall during his workday.

“The smoke is filling the air right now, and if you took a look at the sun (Thursday) morning, it was a big orange ball,” he said.

While they’re relieved the air quality hasn’t gotten nearly as bad as summer 2023 — when smoke from several wildfires briefly gave Seattle the unwelcome title of Unhealthiest Air Quality in the World — Mysa and Foreman said they look forward to cooler, damper weather fronts in the fall.

“It’s just kind of a fact of life,” Mysa said. “Until we get our regular weather where we get to have the rain — and that can calm things down — I think this is just what we have to live with right now.”

Buehner highlighted that Western Washington has been fortunate this summer, with refreshing ocean breezes keeping wildfire smoke at bay. However, the short-term loss of onshore flow has allowed some smoke to filter in at higher altitudes.

Wildfire season far from over

For those new to the area, Buehner emphasized that wildfire season is not over yet.

“Looking ahead at our outlook through probably a good chunk of the rest of this month still looks pretty warm and dry,” he said.

Wildfire conditions are expected to remain ripe as the month progresses.

Residents are advised to stay informed about air quality updates and take necessary precautions, especially those sensitive to smoke. Enjoy the picturesque skies, but remain vigilant as conditions can change rapidly.

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The elevated smoke has resulted in stunning sunrises, but it also leaves a hazy appearance in the sky.

“We’re still doing pretty well with regards to air quality where you and I breathe,” said Buehner.

However, he warned that as the weekend approaches, some of the smoke might filter down to sea level, potentially affecting air quality.

Enjoy the sunrises and sunsets

Buehner encouraged residents to enjoy the beautiful sunrises and sunsets over the next few days. Relief is expected as onshore flow from the Pacific Ocean resumes on Sunday, bringing cooler temperatures.

“We’ll have temperatures down in the more comfortable 70s by Sunday and Monday,” he added.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.