Seattle, Portland have world's worst air quality again Thursday. When is rain expected?
SEATTLE — Seattle and Portland began Thursday with the worst air quality in the world among major cities, according toiqair.com.
The smoke is coming from stubborn wildfires burning right now all the way from Oregon up to British Columbia. Vancouver, BC, has the 10th-worst air quality in the world as of 6 a.m.
Much-needed rain should start in some western Washington locations by Friday, helping bring the air quality back to healthy levels.
Because of the poor air quality, burn bans are in effect for several Washington state counties, meaning outdoor burning is off limits.
While the air quality will likely improve by Friday, for now, health guidance suggests really limiting your time outdoors if you can and closing those windows.
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On top of the strong smell, you might experience burning eyes, scratchy throats and coughing.
Seattle Public Schools is advising students to not take outdoor recess. TheSeattle Waldorf School andOlympia Waldorf School canceled classes on Thursday due to the smoke.Forest Ridge School in Bellevue canceled in-person classes and will be remote Thursday.
The Seattle Fire Department canceled all outdoor training on Thursday.
More than an inch of rain will likely fall on the Bolt Creek fire in Skykomish by Monday. This amount of much-needed moisture will surely put out the smoldering flames. But a renewed concern for mudslides on recent burn scars may threaten to close US 2. After all, once the autumn storms start, typically, the rain doesn't stop until spring.