The Air Quality Index in my town is currently 260 (very unhealthy) due to a surge in wildfires in western Canada and the northwest US. There are additional smaller fires not shown on this map at this zoom level.
From the interactive map it looks like the worst air in the world right now.
Yeah, the PNW has been a horror show the last several summers. In Eugene, at the tail end of the Willamette Valley, 260 is a bad day but in August not bad enough to be brought up in small talk. We were in the 500’s last Tuesday then last Saturday the winds shifted and we has a whole day of clear air with AQI in the teens. I was exhausted from trying to get as mush outside stuff done as possible.
It’s been normal for the last 4 or 5 years and nearly unheard of before that.
I’ve experienced 450 in Chiang Mai, Thailand and you could taste the air. It was not pleasant at all.
Saw 600 in Shanghai a few years ago. It was horrific. Fortunately the Chinese government has made quite a bit of progress in improving air quality in the last decade so such terrible pollution isn’t nearly as common today as it used to be.
It’s been really hampering my camping efforts the last few years. It’s bullshit.
It was bad enough that I gave in and moved away. The smoke is brutal on my asthma.
living in the pnw rn is great my lungs feel spicy
Today is a LOT better than. Yesterday, I’ll be very glad to be at home later where my AC filters are keeping my place breathable… did t have that the last time this was an issue and wow. Makes a BIG difference.
I’ve had the AC filters, and they make a difference, just don’t forget to change them afterward. I also ended up buying one of those home air purifier things (something I never thought I’d do), and that’s helped with the air in my bedroom at night as well - I’m no longer waking up with headaches. That plus an N95 mask outside and I’m actually doing okay!
Consider sealing off the stove extractor fan (when not using the stove) if you have one, it was our biggest leak during the heavy smoke season.
Oh, thanks for that tip - that never occurred to me!
Yeah, can I sue my Ex for keeping my kids outside all weekend? I kept one of my kids home today because his camp didn’t have an indoor option.
Yes, if you can find a lawyer willing to classify this as “substantial risk of illness”
Also in PNW and Today is by far the worst day of the year here. I’ve had to use my inhaler like 4x.
Sorry guys. Shit’s kinda fucked up here, but there are some real heroes getting busy up here. We’re almost out of stuff to burn I think, and people keep stealing fire fighters gear to try and save their own property so yeah, at this rate, climate will win shortly and there won’t be anything left soonish.
Again, sorry guys.
Yeah seeing how people have reacted to some of the stuff that’s started to happen with climate change and also the pandemic, I have less than zero faith in how humanity will rise to some of the coming challenges. Negative faith.
Again, sorry guys.
Canadian confirmed.
But no worries. That high altitude smoke has been moderating temperatures in my neck of the woods and we’ve had a pleasant summer and low electric bills.
We had 999 (scale used didn’t go any higher) during the Australian fires a few years back. Going to need a new air quality measurement system soon. :/
Bet you could chew the air at that point
Could feel it too. Anything above 100 is already unpleasant. It got so bad it was like a gritty orange fog, and the smell got into everything. Couldn’t see ten meters on the worst days. Thankfully we had air filter units already for hayfever season.
Checking in from right in the middle of three of those big fires in Canada. We had air quality ratings of around 600-700 (according to purple air) today.
For parts of the day it was snowing ash.
It’s truly awful. But I’m thankful I don’t have to deal with asthma, or dealing with being evacuated.
I saw a news article saying we had the worst air in the world today, then I checked around in purple air and were a close second. A neighboring city was showing values at 800+.
Oof, I’ve been watching the satellite imagery this summer and you guys have been getting hammered. I just checked the AQI map and you have me thoroughly beat right now for the title of worst air. Hang tight up there, and stay safe.
I like how the scale at the upper end goes: red -> purple -> a colour about halfway between red and purple. Y’know like would already be on the scale between red and purple
There’s a reason for it, or at least an explanation for the odd color scheme. I don’t exactly remember cuz I heard it on NPR in the background. It goes something like red is bad, purple is really bad, and the people coming up with the color scheme never imagined something really really bad so maroon(red+brown) was just suggested for really really bad. And the smoke has gotten past really really bad in some places.
Mauve is next logical color IMO
There’s already maroon after purple starting at 300, but that’s the last one since at that point it’s just plain hazardous already. But considering it was over 800 when I was in Beijing several years ago, and it was over 600 in Spokane WA where a friend lives and several other places this weekend, we probably need a point at which we evacuate people and a color for that.
Welp, we had Friday, didn’t we? (Last week there was an excessive heat wave that kept everyone indoors. Friday was lovely and then on Saturday the smoke came in)
I think the excessive heat wave is part of what caused a bunch of the fires to start/spread. The number of hot spots visible on NASA’s daily satellite imagery exploded from August 14-16.
looking at that wind map, you’re just sitting in the worst possible formation there… absolutely no air is getting out of that low pressure system… it’s like you’re in a vacuum sucking in the bad air…
take care everybody
I’m glad I don’t live in central Washington anymore. I still remember a few years back I was stopped at a sign and the smoke was so thick I could watch the dark red sun setting behind the even thicker smoke to west at 4 in the afternoon. It was surreal.
Can confirm Doha is bad. The fog at night literally builds up a layer of mud on you as you walk through it.
We had that for 6 weeks in N Alberta.
I didn’t know you guys still had forests left to burn.
we have a lot of trees.
it was 500 here in southern oregon two days ago. same reason. we either fix what we’ve broken or we all die.
Death sounds easier
it kinda does, come to think of it.
I’m in that area and i90 basically goes right by my house now as well since it was rerouted around one of the fires.
If I gotta breathe in smoke from a fire I’d prefer it be that sourdough fire.
But yeah it’s pretty bad here lately. This situation must have something to do with the tropical storm remnants, think it’s blocking in all of the smoke from blowing east
I feel for you. Have been through the same down here in California. It’s apocalyptic.
