Smoky Tri-Cities air likely to get worse. What to expect this weekend

The already unhealthy smoke hanging over the Tri-Cities could grow worse late Thursday afternoon and deteriorate through the weekend.

On most of Wednesday and Thursday morning the air in the Tri-Cities was rated as unhealthy for sensitive people by the Washington state Department of Ecology.

The wind will be shifting to blow from the west and possibly the southwest rather than the east starting late Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

On Thursday the smoke was thicker to the west of the Tri-Cities and that smoke is expected to be carried into the Tri-Cities, along with smoke from large fires burning west of the Cascade Mountains.

Smoky air is expected to drift east to the Tri-Cities down the Columbia River Gorge and through the Cascades, according to the weather service.

Light winds near the ground and night time inversions are expected to trap smoke near the ground where people would breath it.

The weather pattern that is expected to bring more smoke to the Tri-Cities could start to change on Monday with a cold front moving into the area.

It may give Northwest firefighters a break as it brings cooler weather and rain to some areas, including the Mid-Columbia on Tuesday, according to the early forecast.

Highs in the Tri-Cities are forecast to be in the 90s until Monday, when they will drop into the 80s through at least midweek.

The air Thursday morning was already polluted enough that the Washington state Department of Ecology was recommending that people who could have more severe symptoms from inhaling smoke limit their time outdoors.

They include children, adults over 65, pregnant women, smokers, stroke survivors and those with heart or lung diseases or diabetes.

Healthy people may start to have symptoms such as coughing, throat and sinus irritation, and headaches, according to the Department of Ecology.

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 10:27 AM.