Oregon Smoke Information

Forecast Issued: Nov. 16, 2018  Forecaster: James Miller, USDA Forest Service Overall, air quality across Oregon has either improved slightly or remained unchanged compared to yesterday morning. Locations in the Portland to Eugene corridor have experienced slight improvement, but still remain in the moderate air quality category. The most improvement has been within the Portland metro area, where several locations experienced unhealthy for sensitive groups air quality yesterday morning whereas good to moderate conditions were in place this morning.  Figure 1. The Air Quality Index at 8 a.m. on Friday, November 16, 2018.   For the rest of today, favorable low-level winds and upper-level atmospheric conditions from a passing weak-weather disturbance should lead to continued air quality improvement in the Willamette Valley, with good to moderate air quality expected in more locations by tomorrow. Improved atmospheric mixing will also likely produc...

Statewide, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is extending an air stagnation advisory for Southern Oregon through Tuesday. It is also issuing a new advisory for Central Oregon that will be in place from Sunday through Wednesday. Air quality in Southern Oregon is expected to improve slightly on Saturday before deteriorating early next week, according to the National Weather Service. Wind could bring smoke from fires in California into Southern Oregon early next week creating hazy conditions. Much of the smoke currently in the state is from local sources such as wood stoves. The advisory for Southern Oregon covers Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake counties. The valleys in Coos County will also be under the advisory beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday when breezes diminish and conditions become more stagnant. In Central Oregon, the advisory that starts Sunday covers Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman, Wasco, Jefferson, Deschutes, Crook and Wheeler co...

Forecast issued: Nov. 15, 2018 Forecaster: James Miller, USDA Forest Service Air quality across Oregon has been impaired over the past 24 to 36 hours. The smoke is from local sources such as wood stoves and from wildfire smoke from fires burning in California. Determining the exact source can be tricky. As of 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, about three-quarters of the air quality monitoring sites across Oregon were reporting moderate air quality, including most of the Willamette Valley from Eugene north to Portland, most of Southern Oregon from Medford east to Lakeview and Burns, and the Bend area east into the Blue Mountains region. Pockets of unhealthy air quality were reported at six locations, including Baker City, Cave Junction, Salem, parts of metro Portland and Roseburg. Only about 10 percent of monitoring sites were reporting good air quality. Figure 1. The Air Quality Index at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.  See the map above for current conditions. ...