Smoke, haze likely won't completely clear out until after Labor Day



SEATTLE – If you’re hoping the air will clear up soon, there's some bad news.

Though things are likely to get somewhat better in the days ahead, Q13 News Chief Meteorologist Walter Kelley said it could be weeks before the air is completely clear again.

MORE: Is August smoke the new normal for the Northwest?

“Warm, smoky, hazy and dry for as long as I can see,” Kelley said Tuesday afternoon. “No real change in the forecast. Yes, there will be days with less smoke, but the overall pattern will stay this way until the fall rains after Labor Day!”



On Wednesday, the air quality should improve from “very unhealthy” to “unhealthy,” Kelley said, and that should be the case Thursday as well. Friday will be better yet, but still hazy.

“The weekend and next week will have smoky days and less smoky days, but not much change,” Kelley said. “Temperatures will stay in the 80s through next week, but a few days will be in the mid-70s. This Friday looks reasonable with highs around 74.”

Some of the models for the longer-term forecast shows a “very hot pattern” starting around Wednesday, Aug. 22, Kelley said. Stay tuned.