News & Notices

Typically, the temperature of air in the atmosphere cools with gains in altitude. But temperature inversions demonstrate that this isn\’t always the case.

Did you smell smoke in the air this morning? You were right. Smoke from multiple prescribed fires in the region accumulated under an inversion layer (caused by high pressure system). This has resulted in the fine particulate (PM-2.5) levels this morning in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups/Orange on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Poor ventilation…

The heating season is here and we are offering grant funds to offset the costs for homeowners to replace their old wood burning stoves and fireplace inserts with new wood, pellet, or gas devices as well as mini-split “ductless” heat pumps. “This grant can help people replace their inefficient, smoky, old wood stoves,” said Lisa…

Spokane typically doesn’t see wildfire smoke until mid-August. In 2021, however, wildfires began peppering the landscape in our region early. By the end of this year’s wildfire season, Spokane experienced eight exceedances of the health-based standard set by EPA for Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and three exceedances for ground-level ozone pollution. The highest daily AQI…

From U.S. EPA, Science Matters, published Sept. 20, 2021: Science has shown the benefits of exercise or physical activity. But what about exercising outside when there is high air pollution, such as smoke from a wildfire or ozone during a hot and sunny day? EPA researchers are working to improve knowledge about the relationship between…

As wildfire smoke continues to cloud our air, it’s important to know where to get reliable, accurate air quality data that corresponds to national, health-based standards. With the influx of air quality apps and various scales of calculation, you may be wondering where to turn. Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (Spokane Clean Air) uses seven…

On Tuesday, August 17, 2021, winds unexpectedly shifted and quickly brought smoke from the Ford Corkscrew Fire into the Spokane area. Within an hour, air quality degraded from Moderate/Yellow to Unhealthy/Red. During this time, the peak hourly reading was 194 at the Augusta and Fiske monitoring site. Fortunately, the smoke impact was short-lived. The unhealthy…

SPOKANE, Wash – Based on current wildfires, smoke levels and weather patterns, an air quality alert is in effect for all counties east of the Cascades, announced the National Weather Service after coordination with state and local air quality agencies across the state. The alert will be in effect through 10 a.m., Monday. The local…