Monday, September 22, 2014 Wildfire Air Quality Summary for the Klamath Region

Air Quality Summary                                                                    

Monday, September 22, 2014

Prepared by: Ryan Bauer (USDA-FS)

Yesterday Smoke lingered in the Salmon, lower Klamath, and Trinity River drainages for most of the morning before finally clearing out. Orleans, Hoopa, Willow Creek, and Weitchpec all had “good” air quality that improved gradually through the day. Westerly transport winds finally developed in the afternoon but because the low sitting off to the east, only transported smoke about as far as the Shasta Valley. Most of the smoke remained in the Scott Valley all afternoon and evening. Air quality reached the “unhealthy” level in Ft Jones, and “unhealthy for sensitive groups” level in Etna.   Today Smoke trapped in the Scott, Shasta, and Quartz Valley areas and the lower Salmon River drainage should clear by mid-day as inversions break. Stronger south to southwest winds will develop this afternoon which should provide better smoke transport than yesterday. By late afternoon or evening some smoke impacts are likely to return to the Yreka, Ft Jones, and Quartz Valley areas, but not as intense as seen yesterday. The models suggest that Scott and Shasta Valleys will improve by nightfall but that smoke impacts will persist through the night in Quartz Valley. Moderate impacts are also predicted in the Ashland/Medford area in the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow Southwesterly winds continue to strengthen tomorrow as another low pressure system approaches the north coast. This should help clean out smoke trapped by morning inversions and bring improved smoke transport during the day. Afternoon and evening impacts are possible in the upper Klamath and Scott River drainages, Quartz Valley, Ft Jones, and Yreka, but impacts should be light if they do occur. Moderate impacts are possible in the Medford and Ashland, OR area late in the day as well.
Site	September 21 Yesterday’s AQI	September 22 Today’s AQI	September 23 Predicted AQI	Likely Time of Highest Impacts Today
Yreka	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Afternoon/Early Evening
Fort Jones	Unhealthy	Unhealthy for sensitive groups	Moderate	Afternoon/Early Evening
Etna	Unhealthy for sensitive groups	Moderate	Good	Evening
Seiad Valley	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Early Afternoon
Happy Camp	Moderate	Moderate	Good	Early Afternoon
Somes Bar	No Data	Good	Good	Late Morning
Orleans	Good	Good	Good	Late Morning
Wietchpec	Good	Good	Good	Afternoon
Hoopa	Good	Good	Good	Late Afternoon/Evening
Willow Creek	Good	Good	Good	Evening
Weed	Moderate	Good	Good	Evening
Sawyer's Bar	Moderate	Good	Good	Late Morning
PLEASE NOTE: The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review. AQI’s estimated for sites with air monitors.