Northwestern storm system to bring relief for some, danger for others
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Sep 19, 2020 10:35 AM EDT
Smoke from wildfires on the US West Coast has caused the world's worst air pollution.
As wildfires continue to rage across the West and smoke travels thousands of miles from its point of origin, residents and firefighters alike are desperately waiting for Mother Nature to lend a helping hand. Fortunately for some, relief is on the way later this week, while for others, the danger will remain high.
Over 3.9 million acres of land has already been burned as a result of nearly 80 large fires currently burning across 12 states. The majority of these fires are located across California, Idaho and Oregon. So far in 2020, just over 7.0 million acres of land has been scorched by wildfires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Mother Nature brought a bit of relief to the Pacific Northwest from Friday to Saturday, with places from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle picking up 0.25-0.50 of an inch of rainfall. Portions of western Oregon received 0.50-1.00 inches of rain.
This storm system has since exited the region, allowing for a mainly dry beginning of the week.
Dry condition are forecast to persist through early week, but forecasters say there is the chance for a more significant rain event during the middle and latter part of the week.
"Much of the West will remain dry to start the week, but there will be another storm system that is expected to target the Northwest around midweek, further helping firefighting efforts in the region," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
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This storm system is expected to bring rainfall to Washington and Oregon from Wednesday through at least Friday, with rainfall amounts past 1-inch possible.
Any amount of rain is beneficial for those across the Pacific Northwest. Many locations across the region are still in the midst of moderate to extreme drought conditions, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
The opposite will be the case for much of the rest of the West.
"Even farther south where winds turn gusty and dry weather persists, ongoing blazes may be fanned further. Some of the larger fires can even create their own locally strong winds due to the amount of heat generated by these infernos," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.
"Unfortunately across the Southwest, a building ridge of high pressure is expected to strengthen and expand this week, resulting in well above-average temperatures and a continued high fire threat," Buckingham said.
Smoke is likely to be more widely dispersed out of California during this time. The amount of smoke being produced by these fires already led to extremely unhealthy air quality for portions of the West earlier in the week.
Smoke inhalation can make breathing difficult and can cause coughing, runny nose, bronchitis, wheezing and exacerbation of chronic diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to Plume Labs, a company that monitors air pollution around the globe.
Officials are warning people to avoid or limit spending time outdoors amid the hazardous smoky conditions.
Residents across the western United States can monitor the air quality levels in their neighborhood with AccuWeather’s Air Quality page, which includes detailed air quality forecasts.
Visit accuweather.com/airquality
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Northwestern storm system to bring relief for some, danger for others
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Sep 19, 2020 10:35 AM EDT
Smoke from wildfires on the US West Coast has caused the world's worst air pollution.
As wildfires continue to rage across the West and smoke travels thousands of miles from its point of origin, residents and firefighters alike are desperately waiting for Mother Nature to lend a helping hand. Fortunately for some, relief is on the way later this week, while for others, the danger will remain high.
Over 3.9 million acres of land has already been burned as a result of nearly 80 large fires currently burning across 12 states. The majority of these fires are located across California, Idaho and Oregon. So far in 2020, just over 7.0 million acres of land has been scorched by wildfires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Mother Nature brought a bit of relief to the Pacific Northwest from Friday to Saturday, with places from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle picking up 0.25-0.50 of an inch of rainfall. Portions of western Oregon received 0.50-1.00 inches of rain.
This storm system has since exited the region, allowing for a mainly dry beginning of the week.
Dry condition are forecast to persist through early week, but forecasters say there is the chance for a more significant rain event during the middle and latter part of the week.
"Much of the West will remain dry to start the week, but there will be another storm system that is expected to target the Northwest around midweek, further helping firefighting efforts in the region," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
This storm system is expected to bring rainfall to Washington and Oregon from Wednesday through at least Friday, with rainfall amounts past 1-inch possible.
Any amount of rain is beneficial for those across the Pacific Northwest. Many locations across the region are still in the midst of moderate to extreme drought conditions, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
The opposite will be the case for much of the rest of the West.
"Even farther south where winds turn gusty and dry weather persists, ongoing blazes may be fanned further. Some of the larger fires can even create their own locally strong winds due to the amount of heat generated by these infernos," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.
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"Unfortunately across the Southwest, a building ridge of high pressure is expected to strengthen and expand this week, resulting in well above-average temperatures and a continued high fire threat," Buckingham said.
Smoke is likely to be more widely dispersed out of California during this time. The amount of smoke being produced by these fires already led to extremely unhealthy air quality for portions of the West earlier in the week.
Smoke inhalation can make breathing difficult and can cause coughing, runny nose, bronchitis, wheezing and exacerbation of chronic diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to Plume Labs, a company that monitors air pollution around the globe.
Officials are warning people to avoid or limit spending time outdoors amid the hazardous smoky conditions.
Residents across the western United States can monitor the air quality levels in their neighborhood with AccuWeather’s Air Quality page, which includes detailed air quality forecasts.
Visit accuweather.com/airquality
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo