SPOKANE, Wash.– Over a week into September, and Spokane is just now breathing clean air for the first time this month.
The Air Quality Index in Spokane dropped below 50 on Monday morning, marking the threshold between Good and Moderate air quality. It is the first time since August that’s happened. Air quality began to suffer over the Labor Day weekend and turned into a smoky nightmare late last week.
Numerous large wildfires continue to burn around the Inland Northwest. That likely means this return to clean air in Spokane is only temporary. The First Alert Weather Team expects winds to shift again on Tuesday, which will bring some smoke back into Spokane and Kootenai counties.
Smoke will remain a problem as long as these fires continue to burn. Cooler, wetter weather is in the forecast this week, but not enough to extinguish these fires yet.
Air quality elsewhere in the Inland Northwest remains unhealthy, particularly near the active wildfires in our region. Check your local air quality here.
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