News | Washington State Climate Office

Aug 10, 2026 | Air Quality and Wildfire, August 2026 Newsletter, Climate Matters, Guest Author

Climate Matters: A Wildfire Note From WA DNR

Last fall, I stood on a hillside east of White Salmon overlooking the Columbia River Gorge.
Below me was the burn scar from the Burdoin Fire, an 11,000-acre wildfire that had swept through the Gorge just months earlier, destroying 45 structures and threatening hundreds more.

A photograph of an unburned forest on the left and a burned forest on the right with a roadway cleanly dividing the two.

Jul 8, 2026 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Matters, Guest Author, July 2026 Newsletter

Climate Matters: What to expect from this year’s wildfire season in the Northwest

Introduction
Wildfire becomes a part of life across much of the western US this time of year, and the Pacific Northwest is no exception. The smell of smoke from fires burning hundreds of miles away or the news alerts of fires threatening nearby communities can dominate our daily routines.

Oct 7, 2020 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Events, Climate Matters, Temperature

Cooler Temperatures from the Smoke of September

The thick smoke that blanketed much of WA state during a stretch of days in September 2020 is apt to be long remembered. A visible satellite image from the morning of 12 September (Fig.

Apr 3, 2020 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Events, Climate Matters

Sheltering in Place – Does it Impact Air Quality?

We have all noticed marked changes in activities due to the COVID-19 outbreak. One obvious one is the scarcity of aircraft overhead, as indicated by Alaska Airlines planning to reduce its flights by 70% for April and May (Seattle Times, 26 March 2020).

Oct 5, 2017 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Matters

Western WA Summer Smoke and Air Quality

The past summer has been quite remarkable in the Pacific Northwest. Averaged over WA State, the June through August average temperatures ranked as the 4th warmest in the historical record with temperatures 2.6°F above the 1981-2010 normal.

Nov 3, 2016 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Events, Climate Matters

Winter Air Pollution in Washington State

Here we revisit a topic discussed in a previous edition of this newsletter (January 2011), and that is particulate pollution during the winter in Washington state. There is some good news, but it remains a public health hazard at times in many parts of the state.

Sep 27, 2015 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Events, Climate Matters

The Yacolt Burn of 1902

This summer has included the largest fire (the Okanogan Complex) in WA state history and the most acres burned since at least 2002. The vast majority of wildfires in WA occur east of the Cascade Range crest but that is not the only part of state that can face a serious threat.

Aug 3, 2012 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Matters, Seasonal

Hot Summer Weather and Low-level Ozone Concentrations

Ozone (O3) is an important pollutant in many regions, especially during summer months, and Washington State is no exception. While O3 is beneficial in the upper-atmosphere through its absorption of damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation, it is harmful near the surface.

Jan 5, 2011 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Matters

Pollution due to Wood Smoke and the Weather of WA State

Air quality is often good in the Pacific Northwest due to the prevailing west to east winds off the North Pacific. There are exceptions to this situation, of course, during which residents of Washington are exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution.