Cooler, windy weather in Tri-City forecast

Cooler, windy weather will blow into the Tri-Cities this weekend as a cold front moves across the Pacific Northwest, according to the National Weather Service.

The wind Saturday might clear out the smoke in the air in the Tri-Cities, but blowing dust could be a problem, said weather service meteorologist Wade Earle.

The smoky air could drift back over the Tri-Cities as the wind dies down after this weekend, Earle said. But the cooler weather forecast could help firefighters reduce the size of the fires burning across Washington and Oregon.

The air quality in the Tri-Cities on Friday was rated as “moderate” in the morning, better than the ratings of “unhealthy” and “unhealthy for sensitive groups” because of smoke particles earlier in the week. By midafternoon Friday, the air quality had improved to “good.”

A weather service air quality advisory remains in effect for the Tri-Cities and nearby areas with no expiration date. Also, the weather service has added wind and blowing dust advisories for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. A red flag fire warning because of the wind has been issued for 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Drivers on Interstates 82 and 84 should be alert for strong crosswinds and rapidly changing visibility because of blowing dust, the weather service said.

Wind speeds could increase to 23 to 33 mph Saturday afternoon or possibly evening with gusts as high as 48 mph in the Tri-Cities. Saturday night, sustained wind speed could drop, but gusts up to 26 mph are possible.

Sunday wind speeds of 9 to 18 mph are forecast with gusts up to 21 mph in the Tri-Cities.

Cooler weather is expected to last for 1-2 weeks in the Tri-Cities, Earle said.

Saturday, the high might be about 82 degrees, dropping to the high 70s or about 80 degrees for the next five days.

This story was originally published August 28, 2015 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Cooler, windy weather in Tri-City forecast."