Air quality alert for Whatcom amid smoky skies, record heat and fire danger

Weather forecasters and government agencies issued air quality alerts and burn bans across Western Washington amid a record-breaking fall heat wave and winds that are sending wildfire smoke into the Puget Sound region, including Bellingham and Whatcom County.

Smoke is coming from wildfires in Eastern Washington, including the Bolt Creek wildfire in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest east of Gold Bar and the Chilliwack Complex of fires in the North Cascades National Park east of Mount Baker.

A ridge of high pressure is bringing unseasonably warm weather to the Northwest, and record-breaking temperatures are possible this weekend, said meteorologists Maddie Kristell and Dev McMillian at the National Weather Service in Seattle.

That high pressure is reversing the ocean breezes that keep Whatcom County’s air cool and moist, and is sending warm, dry and smoky air from the east.

“Persistent upper-level ridging will make for well above-average temperatures and dry conditions across the region. The likelihood of 80 degree highs this weekend is looking quite favorable across the lowlands of Puget Sound and adjacent Cascade foothills,” Kristell and Mcmillian said in the online forecast discussion.

Already, Bellingham has seen three days with record high temperatures in October, including a high of 74 degrees on Thursday, Oct 13, that broke the mark of 72 from 1961.

Normally, mid-October temperatures in Bellingham are in the upper 50s.

Air quality began to deteriorate in Whatcom County on Friday, Oct. 14, with readings mostly in the moderate range, according to the Northwest Clean Air Agency, which issued a burn ban for the Kendall area.

“Air quality is forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive groups on Friday with conditions ranging from good to unhealthy through the weekend depending on location in Island, Skagit, and Whatcom counties,” the agency tweeted Friday.

Sierra Pacific Industries closed the timberland it manages in Northwest Washington, including Whatcom County, because of fire danger.

Officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued air quality alerts for Indigenous lands under its jurisdiction, including Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe.

“People who are at greater risk from the effects of smoke include those with heart disease or lung disease, older adults, children, and pregnant people. These sensitive groups should avoid outdoor exertion and minimize exposure to smoke as much as possible,” the EPA said in a statement.

Because of high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity, a red flag warning for fire danger was issued this weekend for Northwest Washington.

Winds of 10 to 15 mph are possible, gusting to 25 mph, according to the forecast.

Meanwhile, relief was in sight for Monday, Oct. 17, as westerly winds return.

But high pressure will continue to influence Whatcom County’s weather through the rest of the week, with sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures.