09/04/2015 Daily Idaho DEQ Smoke Forecasts Ending - will return if needed

DEQ has stopped issuing daily smoke forecasts due to reduced wildfire activity and improved air quality throughout the state. All areas in Idaho, outside the 5 Indian Reservation boundaries, have been in the Good air quality category for the past few weeks. Air quality is forecast to remain in the Good air quality category for at least the next couple of days.

To find an air quality forecast for your area, visit the DEQ's Daily Air Quality Reports and Forecasts webpage.

DEQ will start issuing daily smoke forecasts again if wildfire activity increases.

DEQ Lewiston Regional Office LIFTS Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Lewiston Regional Office has lifted the Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution effective 10 a.m. September 3, 2015 for residents of  Riggins, Lucile and Pollock in Idaho County along the Hwy 95/river corridor (off the Nez Perce Reservation). Air quality is currently in the GOOD category and is forecast to remain in the Good to lower Moderate category for the next few days. At times air quality may elevate depending on fire activity and winds. DEQ will continue to monitor smoke and fire activity throughout the region.                                                                                        

Additional information for health recommendations, air quality, and wildfire can be found on the Idaho Smoke Information Blog at http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/.   Please see the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare links under the Smoke and Health tab on the blog for additional health recommendations for sensitive groups, communities, schools and daycare facilities.  

Smoke impacts and complaints can be reported to our Smoke Information Hotline at (800)-345-1007.  Air Quality Advisory information can also be found by calling (855) 401-4636 or the DEQ Lewiston Regional Office at (877) 541-3304 or (208) 799-4370 for additional questions or concerns. 

 

 

 

 

 

DEQ Lewiston Regional Office Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Lewiston Regional Office has extended an Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution with mandatory burn ban from 10 a.m. September 2, 2015 through 10 a.m. September 3, 2015 to notify residents of  Riggins, Lucile and Pollock in Idaho County (off the Nez Perce Reservation) of degraded air quality. Area of impact is forecasted from Lucile south to the Idaho County border on the east and west side of Hwy 95/river corridor with additional drainage impacts along the Salmon River. Air quality is currently in the Moderate category and is forecast to elevate to the Unhealthy category.  Conditions may deteriorate rapidly based on fire activity and winds.

DEQ has lifted the Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution effective 10 a.m. September 2, 2015 for residents of Clearwater County (off the Nez Perce Reservation). Air quality is currently in the Good category and is forecast to remain in the Good to lower Moderate category for the next few days. DEQ will continue to monitor smoke and fire activity throughout the region.                                                                                        

Additional information for health recommendations, air quality, and wildfire can be found on the Idaho Smoke Information Blog at http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/.   Please see the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare links under the Smoke and Health tab on the blog for additional health recommendations for sensitive groups, communities, schools and daycare facilities.  

Smoke impacts and complaints can be reported to our Smoke Information Hotline at (800)-345-1007.  Air Quality Advisory information can also be found by calling (855) 401-4636 or the DEQ Lewiston Regional Office at (877) 541-3304 or (208) 799-4370 for additional questions or concerns. 

09/01/2015 Idaho DEQ Smoke Forecast

Updated 1:00pm MDT Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Valid through: Noon MDT Friday, September 4, 2015

Smoke Outlook

Air quality is currently ranging from Good to Moderate in all of Idaho with higher hourly impacts across the Clearwater Basin Drainage and the Salmon-Challis area.  Air quality is forecast to remain in Moderate to Unhealthy category for the 24hr standard across central Idaho today while northern Idaho has seen some improvement and is forecast to be in the Good to Moderate category. Southern Idaho remains in the Good category.  Impacts are from regional fires burning in Washington State, California, Oregon, and a multitude of local fires in the Clearwater drainage, the northern Panhandle, and Central Idaho Mountains.

Nez Perce Reservation:  24-hour monitor readings range from Good to Moderate.  Hourly readings are fluctuating from Moderate to Unhealthy, depending on location and wind direction.  The Nez Perce Tribe has lifted their Air Quality Advisory.  Please contact the Nez Perce Tribe for more information: airquality@nezperce.org.

Generally speaking, the winds at the surface will be from the southwest-west with regions of northwest within the Treasure Valley and over the Clearwater drainages at 5-10 mph with winds from 8-12 mph across the Rathdrum Prairie and Purcell Trench.  It should be a dry day with partly cloudy skies in the northern Panhandle and mostly sunny skies elsewhere.  On Wednesday, a cold front will move in affecting northern Idaho first before entering southwest Idaho tomorrow evening.  This will bring cooler, stormier weather for the remainder of the week.  Several small disturbances will pass through as the weekend approaches.  These events will serve to bring precipitation and higher, sometimes gusty, winds by Friday.

 

The strongest smoke impacts are occurring across the Clearwater drainages with lighter impacts in the McCall region.  Expect to experience impacts from the Canada border south to the Salmon River corridor with some drainage impacts into the McCall and Salmon area.  The highest impacts are expected to be within the drainages of the Clearwater and Salmon down into the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley due to the proximity of large fires currently burning.  The Purcell Trench may also see some impacts in the northern tier within Boundary County.  In southern Idaho, impacts will be greatest within the drainages around McCall and the Lower Treasure Valley and generally north (and including) of a line running from Weiser to Salmon.  By Wednesday, there may be regional smoke transport from California over southern Idaho.  This is not expected to impact at the surface.  

Conditions have generally improved across all of Idaho with values in the Good and Moderate range.  Nighttime drainage smoke will continue to provide impacts in regions near and downwind of the fires.  Impacts in the central Idaho region will continue to be the greatest.  Fires burning in northeast Oregon and southeast Washington will continue to add smoke into the Palouse region.  Clearing should be expected over the open expanses with greater improvement expected from Wednesday on through the weekend.

DEQ Air Quality Advisories:

Idaho DEQ has issued an Air Quality Advisory:

·         Lewiston Regional Office for  Clearwater and Idaho Counties, (off the Nez Perce Reservation) through September 2^nd at 10:00am when it will be extended or lifted.

View real time smoke monitoring at:  http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=topics.smoke_wildfires

View DEQ near-real time monitoring at: http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov/

 The USFS installed monitors in Riggins, ID, Halfway, OR, and Newport, WA.  The information can be found at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/smoke.pl

·         Riggins, ID monitor is Smoke USFS R1-306

·         Halfway, OR monitor is Smoke #68

·         Users should be aware that the Forest Service site reports the data in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).  To convert from UTC to Mountain Daylight Time, subtract 6 hours.

Smoke forecasts are dependent on predicted fire growth and weather.  If conditions change unexpectedly, impacts could occur.  When visibility starts to go below 5 miles, sensitive groups should minimize outdoor activities.  Everyone else should minimize prolonged or physical activity outdoors.  Visit the Idaho Smoke Blog for more information at http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/

Your eyes are your best tools to determine if it’s safe to be outside.  Even if you smell smoke, the air quality may still be good. 

AQI Category	Visibility (miles)
Good	11+
Moderate	6-10
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	3-5
Unhealthy	1½  -2¾
Very Unhealthy	1-1¼
Hazardous	Less than 1

How to estimate air quality based on visibility for areas without an air quality monitor or airport visibility estimate:

a. Face away from the sun.

b. Determine the limit of your visible range by looking for targets at known distances (miles).

c. Visible range is when an object you can easily see in the distance disappears.

d. Use the visibility values above to determine the local wildfire smoke category.

DEQ Lewiston Regional Office Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Lewiston Regional Office has extended an Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution with mandatory burn ban from 10 a.m. September 1, 2015 through 10 a.m. September 2, 2015 to notify residents of Idaho and Clearwater Counties (off the Nez Perce Reservation) of degraded air quality. Air quality is currently in the Moderate category and is forecast to remain in the Moderate category for Idaho County and southern Clearwater County, river corridors and drainages will continue to receive elevated particulate concentrations.  Conditions may deteriorate rapidly and move into the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups categories at times based on fire activity and winds.

DEQ has lifted the Emergency Air Quality Forecast and Caution effective 10 a.m. September 1, 2015 for residents of Latah, Nez Perce and Lewis Counties (off the Nez Perce Reservation). Air quality is currently in the Good category and is forecast to remain in the Good to lower Moderate category for the next few days. DEQ will continue to monitor smoke and fire activity throughout the region.                                                                              

Additional information for health recommendations, air quality, and wildfire can be found on the Idaho Smoke Information Blog at http://idsmoke.blogspot.com/.   Please see the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare links under the Smoke and Health tab on the blog for additional health recommendations for sensitive groups, communities, schools and daycare facilities.  

Smoke impacts and complaints can be reported to our Smoke Information Hotline at (800)-345-1007.  Air Quality Advisory information can also be found by calling (855) 401-4636 or the DEQ Lewiston Regional Office at (877) 541-3304 or (208) 799-4370 for additional questions or concerns. 

 

Tuesday, September 1^st, 2015

Air Quality Advisory LIFTED on the Nez Perce Reservation

Description of Air Quality Event:

Air quality has improved throughout the Nez Perce Reservation.  The Air Quality Advisory is lifted.

Although air quality conditions have improved, wildfire smoke may move in and out of the area throughout the day and overnight. Some areas may be more impacted than others, so please take appropriate precautions.

Affected Areas:        

All areas on the Nez Perce Reservation.

Air Quality Index (AQI) Category:

The Kamiah and Nezperce areas may continue to experience conditions in the “Moderate” category.  All other areas are in the “Good” category. For AQI health-related information, visit Community Guide to Staying Healthy During Wildfire Smoke Events.

Restrictions:  

No restrictions.

Nez Perce Tribe ERWM Air Quality Program

208-843-9381 | 1-800-720-4089

airquality@nezperce.org | www.nezperce.org/AirQuality/