Western Washington heat wave opens door for wildfire smoke across Whatcom County

A late-summer heat wave is sending wildfire smoke across Whatcom County and the rest of Western Washington and will affect air quality on Thursday and possibly Friday.

A weather system called a “thermal trough” is raising temperatures and allowing wind to blow from the east, carrying smoke from the Ruby Fire in southeast Whatcom County and other wildfires over the Bellingham area.

“Air quality will be moderate on Thursday in Island, Skagit and Whatcom counties. Small amounts of smoke from wildfires to the east and south will impact our area,” the Northwest Clean Air Agency said Thursday morning on its social media.

Thursday’s temperature spike could give Whatcom County its first 90-degree day of the summer, forecasters at the National Weather Service in Seattle said.

The mercury topped 80 degrees at noon Thursday at Bellingham International Airport.

Record high for the date is 86, set in 1973, according to Weather Service records. Normal high for the date is 71.

Heat will begin to moderate near Bellingham on Friday, but inland areas of Whatcom County could still see daytime highs in the mid- to upper 80s.

More seasonal temperatures return on the weekend, with the possibility of rain next week.