Saturday Evening Forecast Sept 12th

Air quality concerns remain up front as we continue to see the massive fire rage all over the West Coast. Much of the smoke continue to drift overhead at very high elevations, so our air is not that bad. At the lower levels a mild onshore flow is helping to keep us better off, but that could change as the smoke layers dip and rise with the wind. Most areas are seeing moderate levels with a few being unhealthy for sensitive people. Temperatures continue to stay mild and even cool as the upper level smoke is keeping a great deal of the sunshine from hitting the Earth. Look for a similar pattern on Sunday with morning coastal fog, plenty of lingering haze/smoke and mild temperatures. We will also the possibility for dense fog in a few areas right around sunrise, so be extra cautious driving. Looking ahead, fortunately for the Pacific Northwest, a storm will drift in to the region next week bringing some desperately needed rain. Not much is expected, but it will mean at least that the fire fighting effort will have Mother Nature on their side for now. For us, the onshore flow will hold firm with a mild pattern expected. Of course, with the smoke being a wild card, temperatures could still be cooler than forecast models expect depending elevation of and high up the smoke stays at. A slight warming trend is expected by late next week, but shouldn't be of too much concern and luckily, no major wind events are foreseen at this time.