The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has extended air quality advisories through Monday for wildfire smoke in the region.
The air district has issued the advisories for weeks amid the various wildfires burning around the state, and has occasionally issued Spare the Air alerts to ban wood burning when the smoke levels exceed federal health standards, but said the smoke will not reach those levels over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Here’s the latest look at today and tom’s total smoke forecast. Most wildfire smoke will remain over far northern parts of CA and over the Sierra. Still expecting some smoke/haze around the #BayArea through the weekend. Visit https://t.co/qjfO3Um3GN for air quality impacts #CAwx pic.twitter.com/uMDtNWVklk
— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) September 3, 2021
The air quality is expected to generally be in the moderate range on the Air Quality Index this weekend, although some areas may see higher levels of smoke come to the surface at times, according to the air district.
Anyone who smells smoke should avoid it if possible by staying inside with windows and doors closed and by setting their air conditioning and car vent systems to recirculate instead of having outside air move inside.
The latest air quality readings in the region can be found HERE. The National Weather Service is forecasting warming temperatures in the Bay Area through the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, with triple-digit temperatures likely in some inland locations on Sunday and Monday.
The hottest inland locations could see temperatures as high as 108 degrees, while coastal parts of the region will mostly stay in the 70s, according to the weather service.
Critically dry conditions will persist amid the high temperatures in many parts of the Bay Area, particularly at higher elevations. On Thursday the weather service updated its drought monitor report. The Bay Area continues to experience extreme to exceptional drought conditions.
The weather service says to should expect more traffic than usual in public locations as people try to find ways to stay cool.