Very unhealthy to hazardous air quality conditions across Washington Share BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 AT 4:14 PM

 Very unhealthy to hazardous air quality conditions across Washington Share BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 AT 4:14 PM

Very unhealthy to hazardous air quality conditions across Washington

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BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF
SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 AT 4:14 PM

Smoke settles into Seattle on Friday. (Getty Image)

Most of western Washington can expect very unhealthy to hazardous conditions air quality conditions during the weekend. Health officials recommend staying indoors.

Check the Washington Department of Ecology Air Quality Map

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.”

Most areas surrounding Seattle were in the 250-300 range Saturday afternoon. Cle Elum and areas near the Columbia River were at 500. Smoke arrived in Spokane Saturday morning, with air quality near 400. Cheney is at 395. Ocean towns and Port Angeles are in the low 300 range.

Visibility has been reduced to about two miles.

Seattle closes all beaches and parks through Sunday for smoke

The air quality forecast

The National Weather Service in Seattle expects smoke and air quality “to remain an issue this weekend and probably into Monday.”

Forecasters say rain could move into western Washington on Monday night and into Tuesday as a front moves into the area late in the weekend, which would be a relief both for the smoky conditions and the wildfires. Sunday is expected to bring cooler, more seasonable temperatures and clouds.

In a press conference with the governor on Friday, Laura Watson with the state’s Department of Ecology warned that, “Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean that you can’t breathe it.”

Watson said residents of the Puget Sound woke up to unhealthy air Friday morning, and there were hazardous conditions in southwest Washington. She said the smoke is expected to travel across the state and reach Spokane by Saturday afternoon.

Protecting your health

“It’s a good time to stay inside, catch up on your Netflix list, or read a book, get board games and puzzles, and stay out of the outside as much as you can because air quality is unhealthy throughout much of the state,” Watson said.

To stay indoors or not? Advice for wildfire smoke and COVID-19 safety

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.