Signs are pointing to severe wildfire season this summer.

“Despite receiving near-normal precipitation over the winter, record-warm temperatures forced much of that moisture to fall as rain. We are heading into summer with a snowpack that is 40 percent to 70 percent below median levels across the Cascades and Olympics,” said Evan Bing, who manages the Northwest Clean Air Agency’s monitor and sensor network and provides air quality forecasts.

“Without this reserve of moisture, forests will lose their natural fire resistance weeks earlier than usual. This means that there is now high confidence in a severe wildfire season, particularly during the latter half of summer,” Bing said.

As we have written previously, it’s a good idea to start planning and preparing for how you can protect yourself and others from the dangers of wildfire smoke. Residents of Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties know how wildfire smoke has blanketed the area in recent summers as it poured in from fires elsewhere — including Canada, Eastern Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, and even overseas locations like Siberia (carried by the jetstream). One thing all this smoke has in common: The too-tiny-to-see particles that you can inhale deeply into your lungs, where they damage delicate tissues. People with heart and lung issues, the elderly, and children are most at risk. But anyone can be harmed by breathing in smoke.

So it’s important for everyone to reduce their exposure to smoke. Wildfire smoke irritates your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It can make it hard to breathe and make you cough or wheeze.

Stay inside as much as possible with doors and windows closed Make sure you’re aware of possible wildfire smoke events before the smoke reaches our area and have a plan!

Track local media reports.

Pay attention to local government alerts.

Check NWCAA’s social media (X/Twitter, Facebook, Threads, and Instagram) and our website (https://nwcleanairwa.gov/).

Also, be sure to check out these handy resources:

• NWCAA’s Wildfire Smoke Information page with materials on how to protect yourself and others during wildfire smoke events – https://bit.ly/3NKEh0B
• NWCAA’s Air Quality Center – https://nwcleanairwa.gov/air-quality-center/
• AirNow Fire and Smoke Map – https://fire.airnow.gov/
• Washington Smoke Blog – https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/
• How to make your own clean air fan (video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujUFj2G9_-Y

NWCAA will share more information as it becomes available.