The morning after Fourth of July, residents in Seattle, Kirkland, and Bothell woke up to hazy skies and poor air quality. According to IQ Air, the Seattle area’s air quality ranked among the worst in major U.S. cities on Friday. Although the overall AQI was rated as “moderate” at 92 according to IQ Air’s system, many reporting stations in the area recorded AQIs well above 100.
The Queen Anne area, Rainier Valley, and the Madrona/Leschi neighborhoods had the highest figures. Outside of Seattle, many stations in Kirkland reported an AQI over 150, while Bothell’s AQI was just below 200. It’s important to note that an AQI between 151-200 is considered “unhealthy” for everyone, not just those who may be more sensitive to poor air quality.
This decrease in air quality coincided with a heat advisory for western Washington, with temperatures expected to reach the upper 80s and even 90 degrees in some areas. As of 6:45 a.m. Friday, Seattle had the third-worst air quality among major U.S. cities, trailing behind Detroit and Los Angeles.
The primary cause of the poor air quality was the lingering smoke from fireworks on the Fourth of July. According to experts, the smoke accumulated near the ground due to warmer air above and colder air at the surface, resulting in unhealthy conditions.
However, better air quality was observed west and east of the Puget Sound region. Stations in Issaquah and Snoqualmie reported good air quality on Friday morning, while parts of Bainbridge Island and the area west of Bremerton experienced a low Air Quality Index (AQI) reading.
By Friday afternoon, air quality had improved for most parts of western Washington, with good or moderate air quality reported across the region. Despite the diminished air quality, there are currently no burn bans in effect, according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. However, there are several wildfires burning in central Washington, with the smoke even visible from space.