We will struggle to get rid of the smoky skies and even if it does clear for a bit, it is possible it will ebb and flow all week as winds slowly begin to pick up. As of 5 p.m. Monday, Vancouver’s peak wind all day was only five miles per hour. One sign the fog at least had lifted was the high temperature at 5 p.m. was 73 degrees.
Ever since the smoke appeared here five days ago, we have had highs only in the mid-60s. That after days and days of hot weather. With only four-tenths of an inch of rain since July 1, things have really dried out. I know the combination of smoke and fog (smog) is terrible, at least humidity levels are back to normal which help tender the wildfires.
However, with the inversion overhead, it is warmer aloft, say above 2,000 or 3,000 feet in the 70s and low 80s in some places. The atmosphere has a lid over us and nowhere for all that smoke to go. It will dissipate in time but I bet we have days with smoke for several weeks.
That weather system off the coast we talked about the other day is still spinning around and most of the light rain is shuffling northward along the coastal strip. There is a small chance of a sprinkle or two today but only scant amounts.
