Air Quality Report, Wednesday September 2, 2015
NE Oregon, SE Washington and W Central Idaho
Prepared by: Greg Johnson, Air Resource Advisor, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest,Baker City OR
NE Oregon, SE Washington and W Central Idaho
Prepared by: Greg Johnson, Air Resource Advisor, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest,Baker City OR
Yesterday saw active fire
behavior on parts of the Grizzly Bear and Tepee Springs fires. Temperatures warmed into the 80s and 90s, humidities
were low and there were some afternoon winds.
That will all change the next 24 hours as clouds, higher humidities
and much cooler temperatures move in.
This will continue through Saturday.
The result will be reduced smoke impacts as fires will likely subside
some the next few days. Dispersion
should be good the next few days with mostly southwest winds aloft. Air quality issues will again be restricted
to areas downwind of the major fires, mostly up the Salmon River from Tepee
Springs, and to the east of Grizzly Bear near Troy and other locations in
that area. Smoke will probably be most
significant in the night and early morning hours in those areas. All other areas in the region should enjoy
good air quality. There may be a few
light showers with the system today, but the better
chance for showers appears now to be later Friday and into Saturday, when it
will be unseasonably cool for Labor Day weekend over this area.
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Air Quality Outlook:
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Site
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Wednesday
September 2
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Thursday
September 3
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Friday
September 4
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Comments
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Baker
City
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Good
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Good
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Good
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Elgin
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Good
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Good
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Good
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Enterprise/Joseph
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Good
|
Good
|
Good
|
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Halfway
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
|
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La
Grande
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Good
|
Good
|
Good
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Lewiston
ID/Clarkston WA
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Good
|
Good
|
Good
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McCall
ID
|
Good
|
Good
|
Moderate
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Some
smoke may come in Thursday night and Friday from Tepee Springs
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Ontario/Payette
ID
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Good
|
Good
|
Good
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Pendleton
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
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Riggins
ID
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Moderate
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Moderate
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Moderate
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Heavy
smoke from Tepee Springs possible for a few hours each day
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Troy
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USG
|
USG
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USG
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Grizzly
Bear fire smoke at times
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Vale
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
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Walla
Walla WA
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
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Weiser
ID
|
Good
|
Good
|
Good
|
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Links:
Oregon Smoke Information: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/
AirNow:
www.airnow.gov
Idaho Smoke Information: http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/
Washington Smoke Information: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/
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Warning: These data have been obtained
from automated instruments and have not been subjected to a quality assurance
review to determine their accuracy. They are presented for public awareness
and should not be considered final. Conditions such as power outages and
equipment malfunctions can produce invalid data.
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1 Since
wildfires often occur in remote areas, air monitoring equipment may not be
available. The following table provides a quick method to assess air quality
in your area. For more detailed information you can go to the following site:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/burning/wildfires/visibility.htm
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Using
the 5-3-1 Visibility Index
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Distance
you can see*
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Your
are:
|
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You
have:
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· An adult
· A teenager
· An older child
|
· Age 65 and over
· Pregnant
· A young child
|
OR
|
· Asthma
· Respiratory illness
· Lung or heart disease
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5
miles
|
check
visibility
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minimize
outdoor activity
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3
miles
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minimize
outdoor activity
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stay inside
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1
mile
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stay inside
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stay inside
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No matter how far you can see, if you feel like
you are having health effects from smoke exposure, take extra care to stay
inside or get to an area with better air quality. You should also see your doctor or other health
professional as needed.
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* less reliable under high humidity conditions
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