Oregon Wildfire
Smoke Summary – August 4, 2014
Prepared by Rick Graw,
USDA FS, Pacific Northwest Region
Synopsis:
Over the weekend, haze was widespread throughout southern,
central, and eastern Oregon. In many
places the smoke remained aloft, but did not extend down to the surface. Klamath Falls and Lakeview experienced “unhealthy”
air, while most other locations experienced “moderate” air quality, except in
the western portion of the state where air quality remained “good”.
Today, air quality is not as bad in Klamath Falls and
Lakeview as it had been yesterday, but the haze and “moderate” air quality
conditions remain in much of the same locations (i.e., in the southern,
central, and eastern portions of the state.
Air quality will remain in the “good” category in western portions of
the state.
Tomorrow, a north wind will bring some relief to many areas,
except those downwind of fires as shown in the graphics below. Diurnal patterns resulting in evening cooling
and night time inversions in the southern, central and eastern portion of the
state will result in in smoke accumulating in valleys and basins during the
night and early morning, with improving conditions late morning and afternoon
with the breakup of the inversion.
Forecast Smoke Dispersion Patterns:
The figures below are from the experimental Blue Sky Modeling Framework created by the Air fire research group at the Pacific Northwest Wildfire Research Group. They are best used to develop a relative sense of the dispersion pattern for the next few days based upon today's wildfire and smoke. The light red should be interpreted to be relatively less surface level smoke than the darker red. The 24-hour average PM2.5 concentrations shown below are a surrogate for smoke. The existing large fires are indicated by the icon with the flames.
Model Predicted 24-hour Average PM2.5 for Oregon – Monday August
4, 2014
Model- Predicted 24-Hour Average PM2.5 for Oregon - Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Model-Predicted 24-Hour Average PM2.5 for Oregon - Wednesday August 6, 2014.
