Despite the presence of onshore winds, wildfire smoke won’t begin to leave the area until Sunday.
Rebecca Muessle is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. She said she hoped to see more clearing, but Friday’s light winds have made it harder for the smoke to move. And she expects Saturday’s weather to be similar. Which means smoke will still be in the area next week.
“I think the smoke is going to be sticking around for a while—especially given the fire location. Even with a bit of a westerly wind, those are still going to be producing. So we definitely could see some improvement on Monday, but I would not expect to see it completely eradicated on Monday, or even Tuesday.”
Muessle said winds on Sunday are going to become stronger as they move southwest, increasing the chance for the smoke to start moving out. More smoke is expected to leave the area on Monday
Since weather conditions are dry and there is still poor air quality, Muessle recommends people take proper precautions, and listen to emergency managers in your area.