9/10/2013 Rim Fire Air Quality Report

Air Quality Report                                                     Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Rim Fire, Stanislaus National Forest

Yesterday, September 9, 2013

The Rim Fire burned approximately 1,700 acres, mostly within the containment lines. It is currently 254,685 acres. Light westerly transport winds pushed smoke toward the Sierra crest where it met east to northeasterly flows from the Great Basin. This kept the smoke from the Rim fire trapped on the west slope of the Sierras until evening, when easterly winds again carried it downslope, into the foothills and San Joaquin Valley.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Easterly winds pushed smoke from the Rim fire into the San Joaquin Valley overnight. Light morning smoke is spread throughout the region as far south as Bakersfield with the heaviest impacts in Groveland, Greeley Hill,  El Portal, and Tuolumne Meadows. As the inversion breaks and smoke begins to mix into the atmosphere foothill and San Joaquin Valley communities are likely see impacts increase for a few hours before clearing this afternoon. General smoky haze is likely for most of the day. Transport winds will remain light westerly to west-southwesterly through the day, causing smoke impacts similar to yesterday, with the possibility for slight improvement south of the fire, and some light smoke returning to areas north of the fire. Easterly winds will return slightly weaker tonight bringing nighttime and early morning impacts similar to today for the Yosemite and San Joaquin Valley region.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Morning impacts will be similar to the past two days for the Yosemite and San Joaquin Valleys, and impacts are predicted to extend further north into the Sacramento Valley and foothills as well. Westerly transport winds may increase a little, clearing smoke a little better from the central valley and foothills. Markleeville, Bear Valley, and Pinecrest, could begin to see light smoke impacts once again. Nighttime easterlies will be weaker, with moderate inversions, causing slightly less impact to the San Joaquin, but similar impacts to the Yosemite region and foothills.

Long term Outlook

Conditions remain similar through the rest of the week, with morning impacts maybe a bit less in the San Joaquin Valley, as nighttime downslope winds are predicted to be lighter. Daytime transport winds remain westerly and strengthen a bit, providing a little better clearing west of the fire. By the weekend high pressure rebounds, daytime transport winds weaken, and nighttime easterlies once again strengthen, but reduced smoke production should moderate air quality impacts from the Rim fire by then.

Follow the links in the following table to view real-time air quality monitoring data for each site.

Site	24-hour Avg PM2.5 (µg/m3)	3-hour Max PM2.5 (μg/mᵌ)	Level of Health Concern	Meaning	Actions to Protect Yourself	Forecast For Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013
	Yesterday, Sept. 9, 2013
Reno Bear Valley Columbia Markleeville S. Lk. Tahoe Carson City Minden	3 9 11 6 5 8 10	11-10:00 14-20:00 20-21:00 11-21:00 16-11:00 18-00:00 21-02:00	Good	Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk	None	Reno Carson City S. Lk. Tahoe Minden
Mariposa Pinecrest Yosemite Vly*	30 31	67-05:00 138-12:00 88-16:00	Moderate	Air quality is acceptable for most. There may be moderate health concern for a small number of sensitive people.	Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.	Markleeville Bear Valley Mariposa Columbia
Tuol. City La Grange El Portal	36 38 51	151-12:00 105-10:00 87-10:00	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects.  The general public is not likely to be affected.	People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.  Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.	Tuol. City La Grange El Portal Yosemite Vly. Pinecrest
Greeley Hill Groveland Tuol. Mdws	75 66 59	261-10:00 207-10:00 111-18:00	Unhealthy	Everyone may begin to experience more serious health effects.	The following groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity: People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults.  Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.	Greeley Hill Groveland Tuol. Mdws Drew Mdw ICP
Drew Mdw ICP	185	387-06:00	Very Unhealthy	Triggers a health alert, meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects	Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors.

Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings are derived based on the recommendations found in Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials.

*  incomplete data

For more information visit:

California Smoke Information Blog: http://northcasmoke.blogspot.com/