Oregon records highest number of unhealthy air days amid wildfire smoke
Oregon state air quality officials said on August 6 that the state had recorded a record number of days with unhealthy air quality as wildfire smoke persisted across the region. The officials linked the increase to climate-related changes and longer fire seasons. Earlier, FOX Weather reported that smoke from more than 30 active wildfires in Oregon and Washington was being carried by the jet stream toward the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, producing hazy conditions and moderate air-quality impacts.
Yahoo noted that the smoke created unhealthy air quality from the Northwest to the South, with the worst conditions near Boise, Idaho. The Seattle Times said that smoke from large fires near Spokane was expected to lower air quality to unhealthy levels in Seattle through, prompting health advisories. The Weather Channel warned that changing offshore wind patterns would push smoke from eastern Oregon and Washington into western Washington and Oregon, raising concerns for the Seattle-Portland corridor through midweek.