Here are a sequence of images from the Seattle Space Needle panocam looking eastward.
The intensity of solar radiation was greatly reduced by the smoke. Here are measurements at the UW.
On a clear, smoke-free day the solar radiation has a perfect cosine shape:
Today, the variation is ragged and reduced.
I was very surprised to see the smoke cloud in the local weather radar (Camano Island). Seeing vertical plumes and pyrocumulus with radar I had noted before....but the smoke cloud even showed in the radar today (which is in clear air mode). Here are some images from this AM. Look over Seattle...see the red/orange stuff move in--that is the plume (it is better in an animation)
And, of course, the smoke plume was evident in the visible satellite imagery. Look carefully and see if you can trace the smoke over Seattle.
It's way worse east of the Cascades. Visibility is down to 1 1/2 miles here in Spokane now. An easterly breeze has picked up in the last few hours,and the smoke is pouring in from the Montana fires.
ReplyDeleteIn 25 years as an air pollution inspector something I never wrapped my head around - the public's concern over breathing wildfire smoke, but not much concern over breathing winter woodstove and open burning smoke. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteQuestion, Cliff: how come wunderground.net still lists air quality as "good" for Seattle right now, when we can all see the thick layer of hazy smoke out there? And, ha, good point, Ozoner. My guess is that something about the cold air feels "crisper" and thus cleaner, even if that isn't technically true.
ReplyDelete(Wunderground.COM, rather. Must get our URLs correct.)
ReplyDeleteIs it ever going to rain in the Seattle area again?
ReplyDeleteJohn Gowdy
john@thegowdys.com
My mom in Eugene left the door open while she retrieved the paper, and the smoke alarms inside the house went off! Today they had the dubious honor of being the worst air quality in the nation.
ReplyDeleteCliff,
ReplyDeleteAt sunset the sun was filtered to the point it looked as it did during the eclipse with my solar shades on. I had to concentrate to not look at it; reminding myself that smoke did not have the same eye protection.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/erwin247/36848307256/
Right after sunset, I noticed a strange straight tear in the smokey sky. I was not sure what it was, but thought maybe it was a light affect resulting from both sunset and the smoke. What are your thoughts?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/erwin247/36201493714/
Charles
The moon was blood red last night. As of 4am ash is falling from the sky and there is a light dusting of it most notably on my vehicle!
ReplyDeleteHere in North Seattle, it seems that people are starting to go completely bonkers. I just saw a lady leaving her apartment wearing an insulated, full-length parka. Building windows that were closed during the last heat wave, when it reached the low 60s overnight, are hanging open when it's in the 70s all night. The heat was turned UP 10F in the gym.
ReplyDeleteWe need an ice storm in a hurry. People have apparently started to lose their mental faculties.
Certainly there's been some wild fires in recent years, but I don't think I've ever experienced so much wide-spread smoke. The density at times even over Seattle has been extensive, and the distance from where much of it came-- from BC, from Oregon is remarkable, even if from mostly Cle Elum smoke of late. For much of the summer, smoke has covered virtually the whole state, and Oregon, as well as much of Idaho, Montana and California. Is the extent of this unprecedented? And, on top of that, for the first time, I've personally seen a couple of brush fires along I-5 within the city.
ReplyDeleteIt's raining ashes here in Shorewood as well! Make it stop, Cliff! :)
ReplyDeleteThere was a fine layer of ash deposited over Vashon this morning.
ReplyDeleteThere's a light dusting of what appears to be ash on our vehicles and other things outside today, and no local fires as far as I can determine (Poulsbo). Is it possible ash is being carried all the way from eastern WA and deposited here?
ReplyDeleteAlso, how about that nighttime low? 70°F at my house. Crazy.
Is there any explanation as to what is different this year? There are fires in BC and eastern WA/OR every summer, but I've never seen smoke like this in Seattle in the 18 years I've lived here.
ReplyDeleteHeavy smoke and ash in Issaquah. Visibility is way down. The only time I've seen worse was in Montana in 2015. Is this our future?
ReplyDeleteIn Puyallup we've got ash that is visible on the cars this morning and even in the air. Maybe it is too slow in falling to show up on weather radar? Or too light/small?
ReplyDeleteCliff, your criticism of climate reporting is well taken. Can you describe what the "tipping point" event or events might be that would signify a move into a new climate context? If the reporting is erroneous now, what would have occurred for these reports to be more accurate.
ReplyDelete