Stagnant air, wind advisories issued for Clark County

The National Weather Service issued an air stagnation advisory Monday morning for Clark County, warning residents that diminished air quality could negatively impact the health of sensitive groups.

Stagnant air will stick around until noon Tuesday, according to the weather service, after high winds predicted for this afternoon subside.

The weather service said localized east winds of 20 to 35 mph, with gusts to 55 mph, are likely into at least early this afternoon for the southeastern portion of Clark County. The strongest winds will be found around Camas and Washougal.

The county communities forecast to be affected by Tuesday’s stagnant air include Vancouver, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, Washougal, Yacolt and Amboy.

Smoke from woodstoves and pile burns will have difficulty dispersing. The reduced flow of air may affect people’s health, especially those respiratory sensitivities.

“Pollution will increase to dangerous levels. Persons with respiratory illness should follow their physicians advice for dealing with high levels of air pollution,” the advisory says.

South winds topping out at 6 mph will shift east in Vancouver late Monday morning, forecasters say. Sunny skies and a high of 50 should give way to a chilly 31 degrees later tonight. A similar pattern is predicted to persist until at least Tuesday night, when the chance of rain begins to increase.