Smoky air to linger through Friday as Seattle area gets record heat

SEATTLE — The smoky air from record-breaking wildfires is expected to linger through at least the end of the week.

Wildfires continue to burn east of Sumner and near Enumclaw that have caused the closure of SR 410 and mass evacuations in the area.

An Air Quality Alert for much of Western Washington is in effect until Thursday at 10 a.m.

While winds will calm down into Wednesday, high pressure means record or near-record days for heat on Wednesday and Thursday in Seattle. Highs could reach the high 80s or 90.

The smoke will remain a health problem, particularly for sensitive groups.

Humidity levels will remain low and fire danger is going to stay high - the Red Flag warning continues until Thursday night.

“Variable winds continue to make it difficult to predict how long the smoke will persist, but we expect to see UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS and UNHEALTHY air quality throughout much of our jurisdiction at least through Wednesday and possibly beyond.,” the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency said on it’s website.

The Washington Department of Health encourages people to stay inside and away from pollution when air quality levels become unhealthy.

Washington is no stranger to wildfires impacting the air quality.

In 2017, along with smoky skies, we saw falling ash that coated everything outside with a gray layer.

In 2018, haze limited visibility around the region so much that it impacted local tourism.

Visitors canceled trips to outdoor destinations like Mount Rainier.

Download the free KIRO 7 PinPoint weather app to track everything from air quality conditions to temperatures in your area.

Cox Media Group