During the excessive heat warning, smoke returns to Spokane and another rainfall record falls

Air quality in Spokane reached unhealthy levels again on Thursday when another heat wave crept into the area.

As fires burned in northeast Washington and Canada, winds sent smoke into much of eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle, said Jeremy Wolf, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Spokane.

The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency has rated air quality levels as unhealthy, with the index hitting 198 on Thursday night and bordering on the “very unhealthy” category, which starts at 201. The agency also issued an air quality alert on Thursday that should last until 10 a.m. on Monday, according to a press release from the agency.

In response, Spokane park officials closed the municipal swimming pools for the day.

According to the press release, the Clean Air Agency recommends that people stay indoors with the doors and windows closed, circulate air throughout the house, and avoid candles, air sprays, or anything that could contribute to pollution.

Wolf said there is likely to be smoke in the area over the weekend as the fires continue to intensify. Some clean air could enter if northeast winds drive them toward the Cascades and part of the Columbia Basin.

“I don’t think it will completely clean up at the weekend,” said Wolf.

The high reached 97 degrees on Thursday, while the weather service expected temperatures of 98 degrees on Friday and 99 degrees on Saturday. The service then issued another heat warning for the area.

Spokane currently has its record for most days within a year to reach or exceed 100 degrees so Saturday could break that record.

“It’s going to be tight,” said Wolf.

Relief could come on Sunday and Monday as the weather service predicts temperatures will drop to the upper 80s on Sunday and then to the lower 80s on Monday.

However, the drought is likely to continue while east Washington experiences an exceptional drought. According to data from the US Drought Monitor map released Thursday, 38% of Washington is currently in an exceptional drought, including counties of Spokane, Lincoln, Adams and Whitman.

The drought monitor showed 47% of Washington in an extreme drought, which is slightly more than last week’s 46%. According to estimates by the monitor, around 2.8 million people live in the drought areas; the population of the state is approximately 7.8 million.

Valerie Thayler, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Spokane, said from January 1 to August 11 that Spokane saw 4.97 inches of rain. This is the third driest for this period since records began. It follows 4.65 inches in 1924 and 4.93 inches in 1929. Average rainfall for the same period is about 9 inches, Thayler said.

Most of those 4.97 inches fell in January. Looking at February 1 through August 11, it only saw 2.15 inches of rain fall, Thayler said.

“We have the driest February through August 11th since records began,” Thayler said.