SACRAMENTO, California —
A brief spell of dry winds from the north has prompted the issuance of a Red Flag Warning and has transported wildfire smoke south into the Bay Area and Central Valley, Wednesday.
Northern California residents woke up to hazy skies and the smell of smoke Wednesday morning thanks to wildfires burning in far Northern California. Air Quality Index (AQI) values are hovering around 150 for most of the Bay Area and Central Valley north of Modesto.
The Air Quality Index is a measure of how five air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM2.5), ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide contribute to how healthy or unhealthy the air is.
Satellite imagery shows the hazy skies over California, Wednesday morning. The north winds are a product of a system of low pressure spinning into Nevada from Oregon, and the counter-clockwise rotation of the system is pushing dry air south from the Pacific Northwest.
Even though winds will be out of the south for most of the day Wednesday in Sacramento, the evening delta breeze will draw in the smoky coastal air. The early morning hours Thursday will see a wind shift and winds will be from the north for most of Thursday, bringing in more smoke.
Further north and along the coastal range, winds will be from the north, and the combination of gusty northern winds and low humidities has prompted the issuance of a Red Flag Warning for portions of Northern California.
While areas like Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, and Yuba City aren't included in the warning, unhealthy air quality will stick around for the next few days in these areas, along with the rest of Northern California west of the Sierra.
The High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model on pivotalweather.com shows smoke sticking around through at least Friday morning and AQI values will likely remain elevated throughout Friday.
This weekend, a pattern shift will push out the remaining smoke, while also raising rain chances across Northern California.
To stay up to date on the latest AQI values, click on this link to access purpleair.com.
