Wildfire Smoke: What a Difference a Year Makes!

This has been a particularly smoke-free summer so far over the entire West Coast, and to appreciate our clean-air bounty, let's compare satellite imagery between this afternoon and a year ago.

Yesterday's MODIS visible satellite image shows smoke-free skies over nearly the entire western U.S., with two exceptions:  a very small fire west of Lake Chelan and a modest smoke area in northern CA.   That is about it!

Compare that to the smoky miasma of exactly one year ago.  Yuck!  Smoke everywhere!


 The air quality data provided by the EPA in their AIR NOW network shows the story on the ground. This year, nearly all sensors indicate good (green) air quality.  You can breathe freely in virtually the entire West.


But last year on the same date lots of yellow and reds (poor air quality), particularly over eastern Washington and northern California.


Finally, looking forward in time, here is the  NOAA HRRR model smoke forecast for today at 5 PM.  This shows the total smoke in a vertical column..the amount at the surface would be much less. 

Not too bad for this time of the year!


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