Smoke from Washington affecting Metro Vancouver air quality
Posted September 8, 2020 9:36 am.
Last Updated September 8, 2020 12:51 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Wildfire smoke from Washington state is creeping into parts of B.C. and affecting parts of Metro Vancouver.
“Smoke from wildfires in Washington and Oregon is currently impacting portions of Metro Vancouver and will continue throughout the day,” says an advisory from Metro Vancouver.
“Current air quality is changing rapidly.”
#AirQuality Update: Smoke from #wildfires in Washington & Oregon is currently impacting portions of #MetroVancouver and will continue throughout the day. Current air quality is changing rapidly; readings at: https://t.co/Rc2gAFnj2P pic.twitter.com/WQjIiAiLSv
— Metro Vancouver (@MetroVancouver) September 8, 2020
Air quality is being affected in Victoria on southern Vancouver Island, deteriorating even further Tuesday morning, and some satellite images suggest the plume has now pushed as far north as Tsawwassen on the Lower Mainland.
With the sun a little higher in the sky now, visible satellite imagery from @UW giving us a better picture of the extent of the #wildfire #smoke across WA, as well as the Srn #Okanagan, the Kootenays, Srn #Vancouver Island + the Gulf & San Juan Islands. @CityNewsVAN @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/X2sqcJqTO5
— Russ Lacate (@NEWS1130Weather) September 8, 2020
According to state and federal monitoring, the air quality around the Strait of Juan de Fuca has dipped to anywhere from “moderate” to “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
That includes across the border in Victoria, though other parts of B.C. are not being affected. Some regions around Seattle and Everett, as well as on the other coast of the Olympic Peninsula are rated as “unhealthy,” as of Tuesday morning.
#AirQuality remains good across Metro #Vancouver as evidenced by the latest BC Provincial AQI. Easterly outflow #wind steering #smokey skies From WA #wildfires across the Gulf & San Juan Islands & Victoria. @NEWS1130 @BT_Vancouver @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/Si2wlLAs3B
— Russ Lacate (@NEWS1130Weather) September 8, 2020
The smoke is coming from fires in the interior of the state.
Metro Vancouver has no air quality advisories listed.
However, Russ Lacate, a meteorologist with NEWS 1130, reports smoke has moved inland slightly.
“Seeing a sudden spike in air quality AQI readings for parts of south Vancouver, Richmond and South Delta. as of 9:30 a.m.,” he says.
